One Day She Came Back
by IrredeemableCanary
Summary: After becoming a Future Legend (even though, personally, she couldn't care less about that) Sara decides it's time to go back home and try to put her life back together. Arrow Season 4, Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 & The Dark Archer Spoilers. (Part 1 of the Screw Normal Series)
1. Coming Back, Part 1

**Chapter 01: Coming Back, Part 1**

"You either don't know who I am, or you do and you are rather insane trying to sneak up on me" the brunette woman said out loud in a thick accent, not even turning around to address her stalker.

She stopped all movement; the punching bag she was repeatedly hitting only moments ago swinging back and forth on its own "Or perhaps you have a death wish?" she suggested, readjusting the messy bun that was holding her long hair up to keep it away from her face while training.

"You know, after all this time, one would think you'd be more mindful of your surroundings" a woman's voice said from behind, the smirk clearly audible in her tone "I've been creepin' here for over five minutes now"

The brunette froze hearing the sound of the other woman's voice "Do you deem it wise, considering recent events, to use my father's words to criticize me?" she asked before turning around to face the intruder with a soft smile in place.

Her blonde stalker held her hands up in mock surrender, the smirk visible now "Gotta admit, not an opportunity I used to get often back in the day" she lowered her hands and shrugged her shoulders "Hard to resist"

"I distinctly recall telling you to refrain from searching for me"

The blonde took a few steps forward, getting closer to the other woman "No. You basically told me not to free you from that dungeon and move on" she looked around, signaling the space surrounding them "This isn't a dungeon…" then she looked the other woman up and down with appreciation "…and you look free to me. As for the 'moving on' part, yeah… That's not gonna happen; you should've known that"

"I should have"

"I told you, before I left, that if I survived I was coming back. For you. I meant every word I said that night" she sighed and moved a hand to rub the back of her neck before looking at the other woman in the eye "I meant **everything** that happened that night. I thought you did too"

The brunette gasped at the thought of the other doubting her words or actions. However, she knew it was only because of her current reticence to accept her presence there, right in front of her "Of course I did"

The blonde nodded shortly "You told me not to die" she smiled and stood with her arms open "Well, I didn't"

"How exactly did you find my whereabouts?" the taller woman asked, holding her chin up in defiance.

"Laurel"

"I should have known she would ultimately betray me"

The blonde chuckled wholeheartedly, inciting a soft smile from her counterpart "In her defense, I had to guilt, bribe and then threaten her before she said anything" she counted the 'persuasion list' with her fingers "Even after she did, it took me days to find you. She wouldn't give me any specifics and you are impossible to find when you don't want to be found. I only did because I know you and your MO"

"Good"

"You've trained her well"

"I would like to believe so…" she gestured with her hand to the blonde standing in front of her "…you standing there, however, proves me wrong"

"Aw, aren't you happy to see me?"

"I shall wait to decide how I feel about your presence after I hear the reasons behind it" she took a deep calming breath, shaking her head "Why are you here, Sara?"

"I told you, I'm here to claim what's mine"

Sara carefully closed the distance between them, holding the other woman's face in her hands and tentatively kissing her. After a few seconds she felt the brunette start to kiss her back and wrap her arms around her waist, so she moved her hands to the back of the other woman's neck and deepened the kiss.

"Sara" the brunette pulled away, gasping for air, but kept her forehead pressed to the blonde's with her eyes closed.

"God, I've missed that" the blonde licked her lips and opened her eyes after whispering those words, waiting for the other woman to open hers "I've missed you, Nyssa" she said looking into her eyes.

Nyssa frowned, closed her eyes and took a tentative step back "Sara, I—"

"Oh, God… Please tell me you're not seeing anyone" Sara interrupted "Laurel didn't say anything about you seeing anyone, I swear. I'm gonna kill her!"

"What?" the brunette shook her head confused "No"

"Oh! Good. I don't think your husband would approve"

Nyssa groaned and rolled her eyes "I have no husband"

"What about Ollie?" Sara asked smiling "Yeah, I heard about that; punched him in the throat when I did, by the way"

The brunette couldn't help the snort that escaped her body after hearing that.

"Like he's gonna marry **my** woman and walk away like nothing ever happened?!" Sara started pacing "Wait!" she stopped and stared at Nyssa, her eyes narrowing "He didn't try to consummate it, did he? 'Cause if he did, I should've punched him **way** lower than his throat. Actually, I'm gonna as soon as I see him again, just in case"

"Oh, dear God, no…." Nyssa rubbed her forehead "…please, don't create those kinds of nauseating images. They shall give me the most terrible nightmares, beloved" the blonde stared at her smiling softly "Why are you staring at me?"

"You called me 'beloved' again" Sara said, still smiling.

"You previously referred to me as ' **your** woman'" the brunette said using air quotes.

"Well, you are…" the blonde paused and bit her lip nervously "…aren't you?"

Nyssa folder her arms, holding her chin up again "That remains to be decided. Are your time-travelling days behind you? Because that was our agreement. I cannot do this anymore or be with you without knowing if you are ever coming back"

"Yes ma'am"

"Did you accomplish your mission?"

"Always do. Wouldn't be here if we didn't"

"And are you done dying on me?"

"God, I hope so!"

Nyssa nodded just once, then rushed her, strongly grabbing the lapels of her old looking white leather jacket and shoving her against the nearest wall, only to kiss her again; deeper and roughly this time.

* * *

Sara woke up to a ray of sunshine sneaking through the breeze moving curtains, partially blinding her when she tried to open her eyes. She rolled on her side to shield them from the unwanted intrusion and extended her arm, finding the other side of the bed cold and empty.

She frowned and opened her eyes, asking in a low, raspy voice "Nyssa?"

She heard some noise coming from what she assumed to be the kitchen, and once she focused on that, she realized she could hear music playing, too.

Smiling to herself, she got up and started rummaging through a duffel bag that was lying on the floor next to the dresser. Deciding a pair of panties and a t-shirt should be enough for the occasion, she put them on and moved to the bedroom door.

She was hit with the smell of food as soon as she opened the door and her stomach immediately reacted to it, grumbling loudly. She walked down the corridor; the Latin music coming from the radio, she assumed, getting louder the closer she got to the end of it.

She kept walking silently down the stairs and spotted Nyssa right away, in her panties and tank top standing at the stove, and smiled happily.

"Good morning, beloved" the brunette said without turning around.

Sara laughed and walked behind her "And here I was, thinking I was being all assassin sneaky" she wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder "Morning babe"

Nyssa finished fixing two plates full of very different food types and turned around in Sara's arms, kissing her softly "Did you get some decent rest, habibti?"

The blonde grinned cheekily and nodded, kissing the other woman one more time "For the first time in ten years" she let go of the woman in her arms and grabbed both plates, placing them on the island behind her.

The brunette frowned in confusion and poured a cup of coffee for Sara, before she grabbed her cup of tea "Is that some kind of figurative speech I am not familiar with?"

"Huh? What is?" Sara asked, her mouth full of food already "I missed your cooking, this is amazing, Nyssa"

"Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying it so much you are not willing to wait and swallow your food before speaking" the other woman said with a smile, sitting next to her "I meant when you said 'ten years'; Is that a dramatic way of meaning a long period of time?"

"Oh. Um… No" the blonde took a sip of her coffee before looking at Nyssa and taking her hand in hers "I've been gone for over ten years"

The other woman frowned again, even more confused than before "Did you suffer from severe head trauma? You have been gone for roughly six months, Sara"

"Yes, for you and everyone here. For me and everyone with me, it was ten years. Literally"

A few long minutes passed without any of them saying anything, until Nyssa broke the silence "Ten years…" she whispered softly and squeezed Sara's hand "...and you still came back to me?"

The blonde shrugged and took another sip of coffee "What can I say? You are **that** hot"

"Sara, I'm serious"

"So am I"

Her answer made Nyssa chuckle. She shook her head and then pointed out "You don't look a day older from the last time I laid eyes on you"

"Ah, you see, time masters have their tricks" she took a bite of her toast "Kinda like the effects of a Lazarus Pit, but not really"

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, they spend a lot of time moving through time and space, so in the future they came up with some thingy they inject you with that slows down your aging process while you are... well, moving through time and space; away from your own, I mean. I'm aging normally now that I'm back. Oh, and it doesn't have the 'losing bits of your soul' **awesome** feature of the Lazarus Pit, of course" she frowned after hearing herself "Is that the right way to say it? They 'came up' with it, if it happens in the future?" she took a bite of her eggs, still thinking "They **will** come up with… Better, right? Or—"

"Sara, I get it" the brunette interrupted her "It is the future for me, but it was the past for you at some point"

"Yes! Exactly!"

Nyssa chuckled again and ran her fingers through Sara's hair "I have missed you and your strange ways greatly, beloved"

Having cleaned her plate already, she snatched some fruit from Nyssa's before leaning closer to kiss her softly "I've missed you too"

The brunette finished her tea and pushed her plate closer to Sara, who grinned in appreciation while snatching some more fruit "How long have you been living here?" the blonde asked out of the blue, making Nyssa smile.

"I moved shortly after disbanding the League. I realized I grew tired of the darkness and the long restless nights"

"You had a long restless night last night" the other woman snorted and grinned.

"Indeed, but for all the right reasons" she smiled and kissed Sara's forehead, then got up to clean the dishes.

"No, let me, you cooked" the blonde got up and took the now empty plates from her hands. She started washing them, along with their mugs "So you were just like 'fuck it, I'm moving to the Caribbean'?"

Nyssa laughed and shrugged "In a way, yes. Without the swearing"

"Do you like it here?"

"It took me some time to get used to it, being so different from what I used to call home, but I do. People are friendly, most days are bright and sunny, and even when they are not, it still is beautiful and peaceful"

"And yet you train every day like you used to, instead of chillin' all the time like I would"

"Old habits, beloved" the brunette smiled and leaned back against the counter "I do get to enjoy it even more now"

Sara nodded in understanding "You're doing it 'cause you **want** to and not 'cause you **have** to"

"Yes"

"I get that" the blonde put the dishes away after drying them and folded her arms, leaning back on the counter herself in front of Nyssa "Did you… Um, you know, date anyone?" She asked nervously changing the subject.

Raising one eyebrow, Nyssa stared at her curiously and decided to tease her "Sara Lance, I am a married woman! How could you suggest such things?"

Sara narrowed her eyes and glared at her "Not funny, Nyssa. I'm still punching Oliver again as soon as I see him"

The brunette laughed and shook her head "So, is it only 'funny' when you do it? Mr. Queen and I were only married in the eyes of the League. The League is no more, hence, thankfully, he is not my husband. I can barely tolerate him as an acquaintance as it is" she laughed softly "And to answer your question: no. Have you?"

Sara was taken by surprise and it showed; still, she tried to play dumb "Huh?"

"That face might fool Captain Lance when he wants to believe you, but I know you better than that, beloved. Do not forget about it. Have you? It is alright if you have; I would not expect you to be alone for ten years"

Sara shook her head "Honestly? No. I mean, well… I kissed this woman Lindsey once in 1958, and then the one kiss with Len, but—"

"I shall kill them both as soon as I locate them" Nyssa interrupted her.

"What? You told me it was okay if I had!"

"I lied"

"You don't lie"

"I do when necessary" she then growled "Where can I find them? And don't you dare lie to me, Sara Lance"

Sara sighed defeated "Good luck with that, she should be like eighty-something, if she's still alive; and he's definitely **not** still alive"

The brunette could see the sadness in Sara's eyes at the last part of that sentence and she sighed too "I am deeply sorry, beloved"

"Because you wouldn't kill an old lady and didn't get to kill him?" the blonde asked, half smirk in place.

"No, I truly am sorry. I can see in your eyes how hard it must have been. I'm sorry you had to experience that"

"Well, the idiot died saving all of us and probably the world, which is the reason why I kissed him, actually. As a goodbye. He was a good friend and about to die for us" she sighed, remembering it.

"He died a hero, then, protecting all of you. The most honorable way to go, if you ask me" she moved closer to the other woman and wrapped her arms around her, instantly feeling Sara relax in the comforting embrace.

Several minutes passed while they kept like that "Nyssa?"

"Yes?"

Sara pulled back just enough to look into the other woman's eyes "Are we together?"

"If I am not mistaken, I believe I am holding you. That task by itself require us to be together"

The shorter woman smiled "That's not what I meant"

"Then what do you mean, beloved?"

"Are you my girlfriend again?" she asked blushing.

Nyssa smiled warmly and moved a strand of blonde hair away from Sara's face "Do you want me to be, habibti?"

The blonde nodded vigorously "Always. Do you want to be?"

"Desperately"


	2. Coming Back, Part 2

**Chapter 02: Coming Back, Part 2**

While returning to the house after a long walk on the beach together, Sara started to understand Nyssa's choice of destination. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky a beautiful mix of orange and purple over a clear ocean. It was breathtaking and amazingly relaxing.

She squeezed her girlfriend's hand and looked up at her "I need a favor" she blurted out "I know you might not wanna do it, now that I've seen where you live, but—"

"Sara…" Nyssa stopped walking and stood in front of the blonde to look at her "...you always knew I would do anything for you. Go ahead, what is it that you wish, beloved?"

"Would you come to Star City with me?" she sighed and looked at the ocean for a second before looking back at Nyssa "Just for a couple of days, we can come back here as soon as you want after"

"After what, exactly?"

"I have some stuff I need to show you"

Nyssa contemplated it for a few moments, then agreed with a short nod, squeezing Sara's hand in reassurance "I have been back in Star City a few times" they started walking again "I have been called to help the Green Arrow on numerous occasions, and I'm in touch with your sister. Whenever I'm there I make sure to spend time and train with her, in addition to looking out for your father" she purposefully left out the part about having to rescue Laurel a couple of months ago; there was no point in worrying Sara now that her sister was safe.

Sara looked up at her smiling "Thank you"

"No need to thank me for that. They are family, and we take care of family. I also grew quite fond of Thea Queen over the years, God knows why, so I make sure to spend some time with her as well"

The last part made the blonde laugh and nod "Yeah, I knew you liked her when you offered to train her. Thea is known to have that effect on people"

"She is quite mouthy. I find it rather amusing"

"Reminds you of anyone you know?" the blonde smirked "She is extremely likeable, tho"

"Unlike her brother"

"Well, her lack of 'Queen brooding' helps"

"Indeed" Nyssa smiled "What is it that you need to show me, beloved?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

The blonde shook her head smiling "You wouldn't believe me if I told you"

* * *

"Seriously babe? A private jet?" Sara asked in disbelief from her seat. For the fifth time since they boarded the jet two hours ago.

Her girlfriend shrugged her shoulders and looked out the small window, finding the clouds relaxing "Why not? My father's demise left me and my sister with quite a fortune and countless investments. I'm practically set for life. I deemed it appropriate to have a private jet at my disposal" she paused and looked back at Sara smiling "Everyone made use of its benefits, including Laurel and Captain Lance"

The blonde smiled at the mention of Nyssa's sister "We'll go back to my father using your jet in a few minutes. Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

Nyssa realized her slip and blushed "Half sister. I guess you could say we never got along. We barely tolerate each other and we most definitely don't approve of each other's choices" she looked at her girlfriend apologetically "I'm sorry, Sara, I should have told you, I am aware of that. I was afraid of your reaction if you found out exactly who she is"

Sara leaned forward and reached for the other woman's hand, squeezing it softly and smiling "Well, you never have to be afraid to tell me anything, ever again, Nyssa. I know about Talia, and nothing anyone does or say could ever make me think less of you"

The brunette smiled looking at their joined hands, then suddenly something Sara said hit her and her head snapped up, looking deep into clear blue eyes "I failed to give you her name"

"I've met her, Nyssa" Sara said softly, still holding her hand.

"How? When?"

When Nyssa suddenly let go of her hand, Sara stood up from her seat, only to sit on her girlfriend's lap, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing the side of her head "1958"

After a few seconds the brunette wrapped her arms around Sara's waist and sighed, asking again "How?"

"We had a small incident in 1958. Ray, Kendra and I got stuck there for about two years. After ten weeks, I started to feel restless and frustrated. To me, our chances of getting rescued didn't look good, so I needed to find a place where I could feel at home..." she sighed and nuzzled her girlfriend's neck "...you were always home to me, so I went to the only place I would, somehow, feel close to you"

"Nanda Parbat"

"I joined the League, for the second time, fifty years before I did for the first time" she kissed Nyssa's neck softly "I got on Ra's good side, and he allowed me to move to what would later be our chambers, after I repeatedly proved my loyalty and complete devotion to the League"

That made the brunette laugh softly "Should I ask how exactly did you manage that? My father was not an easy going man"

"I might have warned him of some... stuff. One day he admitted he suspected I was from the future, based on everything I told him that turned out to be true. I didn't exactly deny it. That fascinated him" the blonde moved away from her neck to kiss her softly "Full disclosure and all… I kinda named you, too"

The brunette frowned and tilted her head back to look into her eyes "Pardon me?"

"When Rip came back for me in 1960, I kinda told your father to make sure his daughter was off the coast of an island called Lian Yu, in the North China Sea, in October 2008. He asked why he would send Talia 'on such a journey'..." she explained, imitating Ra's voice and demeanor, making the other woman smile "...I told him I didn't mean Talia; his unborn daughter, whom I was pretty sure he'd call Nyssa"

Nyssa smiled, tightening her arms around her girlfriend and kissing her forehead "For what it's worth, I'm thrilled my father was so easy to convince by a beautiful blonde from the future, and sent me there"

That last statement made Sara laugh, and Nyssa allowed herself to laugh with the blonde "I love you, Sara Lance" she said in a more serious note "No matter what, I would have found you. Some things are simply inevitable"

Sara smiled and nodded "I love you too"

The brunette sat there with her girlfriend, deep in thought for a few minutes considering everything she was just told. She smiled to herself, left a soft kiss on the blonde's neck and said in a playful tone "Should I expect any more meddling in my past from that beautiful blonde from the future?"

She felt Sara's body tense immediately after her question, and heard a sharp intake of air.

Sara lifted her head up, cleared her throat and looked out the small window "So, are we there yet?"

Nyssa looked at her in disbelief and couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes "Sara, what else could you have possibly done?"

* * *

"Sara, I am starting to feel restless. You are causing me a great deal of, what I assume, would be anxiety. It is unpleasant, I'm not used to this"

The blonde glanced at her for a second, then kept her eyes on the road ahead "Aw babe, I'm sorry" she sighed loudly "I know I haven't been the most reliable girlfriend before, but I'm back for good. Can you find it in yourself to trust me? Even if it is just this once" glancing at her girlfriend again, she added "Please?"

Nyssa sighed and shifted in her seat to look at her "I've always trusted you, habibti"

Sara nodded smiling "Even when you shouldn't have"

That observation made the other woman laugh "Even when I shouldn't have"

"Nyssa, I know I screwed up. Repeatedly. But I will do my best to **never** disappoint you again. Please, be patient with me so I can show you how much I care about you. Besides, we will be home in like five minutes"

"Home?"

At that moment Sara took the following exit and got them out of the highway "Yes, home"

"Whose home?"

"What did we **just** talk about?"

"I find it difficult to comply when you are adding new information every minute"

The blonde groaned and rolled her eyes, thinking her sunglasses would shield the gesture from her girlfriend.

"Sunglasses don't make you invisible, habibti"

She should have known better "Look, I have a lot to show you…" she paused and took a right turn "...and tell you, too…" they entered the neighborhood where Laurel's apartment was located "...but I don't wanna do it in the car…" she looked past Nyssa to check no other car was coming that way and then turned left "...so, can you please, for the love of God, be patient?"

The brunette contemplated it for a few seconds before agreeing "I shall, but you need to tell me everything, beloved, no more secrets"

Sara smiled and parked the car across the street from an apartment building "No more secrets" she got out of the car, opening the trunk to get their bags, then ran to open the passenger door, offering her hand to the other woman.

"How charming of you" Nyssa teased, smiling softly, but took Sara's hand nonetheless.

The blonde laughed and laced their fingers together, locking the car and walking across the street hand in hand with her girlfriend. They reached a nice apartment building, and to the brunette's surprise, Sara walked them right inside, greeting the doorman who called her by her name.

"Sara?" Nyssa asked, confused when the blonde pressed the button for the elevator.

"I told you, home" she answered smiling as the doors opened in front of them and they got in. She pushed the button for the 15th floor, the highest one, and smiled at the still confused brunette "One of them, anyway, since you got that place at the beach. Oh, and the Jaguar is ours, too" she added, tossing the car keys for Nyssa to catch.

The elevator stopped after a few more seconds and she guided her girlfriend to the door at the far end of the hall. She dropped their bags on the floor and bent down to go through hers, looking for her keys "Feel free to stare at my ass as long as you want"

"Already on it, habibti" Nyssa answered playfully, even though that was exactly what she was doing and Sara knew it.

After a few more seconds of rummaging through her bag and swearing under her breath about some 'stupid keys', Sara finally found them and opened the door, stepping aside to let her girlfriend in and walking behind her. She dropped their bags to the side, closed the door behind them, and her hand went to the light switch.

As soon as the lights were on, Nyssa gasped loudly, looking around at the loft. The space was big enough for both of them and maybe a few more people, though she wished it would be just the two of them. The open concept making it very similar to the beach house. The stairs to their left leading to a bedroom overlooking the living room.

The blonde walked to the living room area, picking up a remote from the coffee table and holding a button down. The electric blinds of the two-story tall, floor to ceiling windows started to open, revealing a beautiful balcony and a stunning view of the city that made the apartment more luminous than expected.

"So? You like it?" she asked smiling.

"Sara, it is beautiful…" Nyssa said taking a few steps closer to her girlfriend "...when did you get this apartment? How can you afford this place? The rent must be insanely high"

"You'd be surprised how much almost sixty years of interests can **get** you"

Nyssa looked at her confused and moved to sit on the couch where Sara was already sitting, waiting for her.

The blonde turned to look at her, her left arm resting on the back of the couch, stretched to play with Nyssa's hair "Remember I told you how some of us got stuck in 1958?"

"Yes, beloved, I'm not senile; it happened this morning"

"Nobody likes a smart ass, Nyssa" she said smiling "Well, nobody but me" she smirked, making the other woman laugh "Anyway! I now know you are fully aware of your family's fortune"

"Indeed"

"Well…" she cleared her throat and looked around nervously "...while in the League back then, I got handsomely paid, against my will, if I may add, for providing Ra's with very valuable, and very appreciated information" she paused again "And for successfully executing a few high risk plans of your father, based on said information, as a last mission before I left in 1960"

"Sara, what did he make you do?"

The blonde dismissed her question with a wave of her right hand "Let's just say I helped shape history as you know it"

"If those movies you used to make me watch were remotely accurate, mathematically speaking, that could have resulted in complete disaster"

"Gimme some credit here, babe, I checked first. Once Rip and the guys came back for me, Gideon showed me the potential future if I completed those tasks. It was worth it"

"Who is this Gideon person?"

"Not a person, you can ask Barry, he created it… Will create it… Whatever! Anyway…" she shook her head before continuing "...Ra's was so impressed, he insisted on 'rewarding me' before I left. Long story short, I **persuaded** Rip come back to the states, opened an account with high interest rate, made the deposit, and voilà!" she finished, gesturing around.

"I am familiar with your persuasion methods"

"Then you know better than to ask for details"

"I am aware all of that makes perfect sense to you, but I am going to need some time to get used to this time-traveler new feature of yours" the brunette said rubbing her temple "Even so, how did you manage to withdraw those funds without raising suspicion? Shouldn't they be expecting at least a ninety year old woman?"

The blonde smirked "One Mrs. Sara Lance in 1960 opened that account to ensure the future of her grandchildren" she shrugged smiling "Felicity helped. We made up some papers proving that I'm said grandchild. Only heir to the late Sara Lance. Oh! By the way, since your father was my 'investor', this place is half yours"

"Sometimes you and they way your mind works frighten me"

"I thought nothing could scare you"

Nyssa smiled "Only you, beloved"

"I will take that as a compliment"


	3. Laurel

**Chapter 03: Laurel**

"You're late" Laurel said as she opened the door to her apartment and stepped aside. Sara rolled her eyes and walked in, followed by Nyssa.

"My apologies, Laurel, you do know how hard it is to wake her from her naps"

Laurel grinned and closed the door behind them, turning to hug Nyssa "It's good to see you, Nyssa. Glad you could make it"

"Why wouldn't she make it?" Sara asked from the couch, her feet already up on the coffee table with a bowl of popcorn resting on her lap.

The other two women joined her in the living room, making themselves comfortable too "Well, for starters, she could've kicked your sorry ass to the curb when you found her"

"People **really** need to start giving me more credit" Sara said around a mouth full of popcorn. She threw one high up in the air, trying to catch it with her mouth and failing.

"Nice assassin reflexes, sis" Laurel remarked with a snort, making Nyssa laugh.

The short blonde glared at both of them "Shut up, I'm outta practice from my two week vacation at the beach" she said as an excuse "Look" without warning, she threw one at Nyssa, who caught it perfectly. She huffed frustrated and glared at her girlfriend "You could've helped me there, just saying"

"How, exactly?" the brunette asked amused.

"By not being able to do everything so perfectly all the time!"

That made the other two laugh again "I am deeply sorry, beloved. I will try to fail next time"

"You shouldn't fail intentionally to make her look good" Laurel observed.

"Yes, she does, 'cause she lo-o-oves me" the blonde smiled and blew her girlfriend a kiss "Speaking of unexplainable love for the Lances, where's your hubby?" she asked looking around the apartment "I could use someone on my side right now. Probably a beer, too"

"Some people have to work, you know? It's friday"

"Wait, you mean putting up with your insufferable ass isn't his only job?" Sara asked gasping dramatically.

Laurel glared at her sister "You're such an ass, Sara"

"Whatever, you love me"

"Only because I have to. Dad makes me"

"Please, if we listened to everything dad says you wouldn't be married and I wouldn't be with Nyssa"

"Touché"

The blonde grinned smugly "And I was your maid of honor, so that proves you kinda love me and stuff"

"Mom made me" Laurel said trying to hide her smile "I wouldn't bring up my wedding if I were you, Sara" she added after a second though.

Nyssa snorted and looked at her girlfriend "I agree with Laurel, beloved. It is not wise to remind her of some… incidents"

"It was the **one** time! You can't blame **only** me, Thea is just as responsible as I am"

"It doesn't matter! One too many. I only planned on getting married **once** , so that makes it a hundred percent of my weddings you almost ruined!"

"I see you are trying to stay optimistic, that's the spirit!" her younger sister said smirking.

"Stop fueling your sister's desire to murder you, habibti, you know I can't protect you from her"

"This isn't fair, you always gang up on me, I don't like you two being friends" Sara protested, took her phone out of her pocket and started typing.

"What are you doing?" her sister asked curiously.

"Texting your husband to come here, I need backup"

"Sara, he's working"

"Well, he's not too busy, then, 'cause he just texted me back"

"And what did he say?"

"That he's working and I'm on my own" she read frowning and looked at her sister "Jerk"

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who insisted on Laurel and I being friends" Nyssa remarked smiling.

"Well, what do I know?!" the blonde huffed "Why people keep listening to me, I have **no idea**!"

"You can always go back in time and prevent us from being friends" Laurel suggested.

"Now there's an idea!" she exclaimed excitedly "How should I do that?"

Laurel shrugged "You can always get me killed or something" she said giggling, but Sara went completely still and surprisingly serious.

"Don't ever say that again"

"Jeez, Sara, relax. I was kidding!" the older Lance answered rolling her eyes.

"That's not funny, Laurel"

The serious tone and pained expression made the other two women look at her frowning "Sara?" Laurel asked after a few seconds looking into her sister's eyes "Did anything happen to me?"

The rush of painful memories flooded her mind and the blonde shook her head, closing her eyes, trying to make them go away.

Nyssa exchanged a worried look with Laurel and took her girlfriend's hand in hers "Sara, are you alright?"

"No, not really" Sara answered squeezing Nyssa's hand tightly.

The brunette ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair and moved closer "What happened?" she asked, wrapping one arm around her.

"Will I die soon?"

"What?! NO!" the blonde yelled alarmed.

"Did I die?" Laurel tried again "Back in a different timeline or whatever; did I die?"

Sara nodded and took a deep breath "I came back and dad told me you were dead"

Nyssa gasped and Laurel looked at her sister with a sad smile "Sara, I'm alive. I don't know how or when, but you clearly fixed it. I'm alive, honey"

"I know" the blonde said nodding and wiped away her tears "But I still had to go through that, regardless of what happened here for you" she took a deep breath "I cried at your grave, Laurel. I threatened people; I actually hurt people, to be able to save you"

"God, Sara…" Laurel said shaking her head "…who did you hurt?"

Sara smiled sadly "I roughed up Rip, just a little bit, but he had it coming. I actually enjoyed that to be honest" she chuckled and sniffed "Dig's asshole little brother, some other 'ghost' dude… And I kinda hurt you, too, and I'm sorry for that"

"Me?" she asked confused "Sara, you didn't hurt me. What are you talking about?"

"Remember a couple months ago? What was supposed to be your last mission as the Black Canary?"

Her older sister nodded and rolled her eyes at herself "Yeah, I went and got myself kidnapped. Again"

"Yeah, well..." the blonde smiled and shrugged "…sorry about that, sis"

"That was you?!" Laurel asked remembering that night "You gave me a black eye, asshole!"

"Black eye beats dead every time!" Sara sighed and rolled her eyes before saying seriously "Darhk would've killed you that night"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah"

"Thank you for my black eye, then"

The blonde chuckled "You're welcome"

"I remember" Nyssa said frowning, trying to remember every single detail of that night "I was the one who found and rescued Laurel while the rest of the team was dealing with Darhk"

"And who do you think texted you hinting that something was gonna happen to her?" Sara said smiling "Do you think I would trust **anyone** else with my sister's safety? Even if **I** was the one behind the whole thing?"

"You little shit" Laurel said giggling and shaking her head.

The brunette laughed and shook her head too "It was not you who I fought that night"

"Well, no; I'm not stupid, and neither are you" Sara rolled her eyes "You trained me **and** we've been together for years. You would've noticed in a second if that was me"

"Yes, I would have"

The younger Lance smiled and kissed her girlfriend briefly "A friend owed me a favor, so I had them fill in for me"

"A 'friend'?" Laurel asked "Those were obviously League assassins"

"Yeah, so? A friend. I've made many friends in Nanda Parbat, Laurel. Assassins are people, too, and some of them are pretty cool. Some even owe me money..." she looked at Nyssa frowning "...can you please tell Michael to pay his poker debts? I don't wanna have to break his legs"

"Who helped you kidnap Laurel?" Nyssa asked going back to their previous topic, half smiling at Sara's request, half frowning at the thought of one of the assassins that were once loyal, betraying her.

"I can't tell you; for their safety"

"Sara" her girlfriend said threateningly raising one eyebrow "I would be more concerned about **your** safety if you don't tell me"

"Fine! Mesi. God, this is embarrassing" she sighed defeated "I'm so fucking weak with you. I can stand days of the most excruciating torture, but you give me **one** look and I spill everything. It's sad"

The brunette smiled shaking her head "I thought she was loyal to me"

"Correction: she **is** loyal to **both** of us" Sara giggled at her girlfriend's exasperated eye roll "I explained what would or could happen and she agreed right away. Even knowing she would get her ass kicked by you. That's true loyalty!"

"Oh, she got her ass kicked alright" Laurel added nodding.

"I thought those were Merlyn's men. What would have happened if the situation got out of hand?" Nyssa asked worried.

"She would have revealed herself and then explain everything to you and **only** you" Sara said seriously "Luckily, she held both of you long enough for the danger to be over, and got to run to safety at the end"

"I shall exchange a few words with her"

"Hell no! You're gonna give her crap for helping me!" when Nyssa nodded seriously the blonde rolled her eyes again "What was that thing you used to say back then? 'The Heir's beloved gets as much say in League matters as the Heir herself'" she recited in English and not Arabic for Laurel's benefit.

Nyssa sighed "This wasn't a League matter. This was personal"

"Well, it applies anyway!"

"Wait, who gave me the black eye, then?" Laurel asked.

"That would be me" Sara answered laughing.

Her older sister narrowed her eyes at her "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"Little bit"

The doorbell rang, startling the three of them while they were laughing "Did you order dinner?" Nyssa asked, as both Lance sisters exchanged a look.

Laurel nodded and excused herself to go open the door, while Sara scooted even closer to her girlfriend, who immediately wrapped her arm around her again and kissed the top of her head.

"Um, guys?"

Sara looked over Nyssa's shoulder at her sister and swallowed hard, moving her feet off the table and leaving the bowl of popcorn. She stood up, reaching for her girlfriend's hand, who immediately sensed the tension.

Sara tugged on her hand, making her stand up too, and reached up to touch her face with her free hand, rubbing the brunette's cheek with her thumb "I love you, Nyssa. I really hope this was okay"

"Sara? What—?" she cut her question short as it hit her; the faint sweet smell of vanilla mixed with hint of cardamom. The scent her mind immediately associated with the only happy memories she had from her childhood. She turned around slowly and spotted a middle aged woman standing next to Laurel. The woman had her eyes full of tears and was visibly shaking, staring back at her.

"Nyssa" the woman breathed out, barely whispering her name.

Nyssa squeezed her girlfriend's hand almost painfully, releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding when she felt Sara softly rubbing her back "Mama?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter (Sara's Text). If interested, PM for details.


	4. Lourdes?

**Chapter 04: Lourdes?**

"Mama?"

The woman nodded and started sobbing uncontrollably. Nyssa looked at Sara, who nodded encouragingly before gently shoving her in the direction of her mother. The brunette carefully wrapped her arms around the woman and started rubbing her back soothingly, crying softly with her.

After a few minutes, once they both managed to calm down, the younger brunette turned around to see both Lance sisters looking at them with soft smiles on their faces "Sara?"

The doorbell rang again and Laurel took a step forward "Why don't you make yourselves comfortable while I get the food?"

They all nodded and Sara sat down sideways on the couch, motioning for the other two to do the same. Once they were seated, the blonde smiled warmly at the older woman, who smiled back at her "Thank you, Sara. I cannot tell you how much this means to me"

Nyssa was completely silent, so her girlfriend reached for her free hand, while the brunette kept the other tightly holding onto her mother's "Babe? You ok?"

She shook her head in confusion, not finding the right words to express everything she was thinking. The older woman smiled and kissed the side of her daughter's head. Nyssa relaxed and her eyes filled with tears again at the long forgotten familiar gesture "How?"

The blonde looked at Nyssa's mother, who nodded in return, then focused solely on her girlfriend, who was desperate for an explanation "During my second or third year away we ended up taking care of some... stuff close to Nanda Parbat in July, 1995. I tried to stay as far away from there as I could, at the risk of running into you and accidentally ruining both our lives" she cleared her throat before continuing "So I was in charge of restocking our supplies and some weapons. I was in the middle of that at one of the markets, when a woman who looked a lot like you do now caught my attention. She was looking at some daggers, too" she glanced at the older woman letting her know, with a pointed look, she was not going to tell Nyssa the parts of the story that weren't hers to tell.

"It's okay, honey; Nyssa and I will get to discuss the rest of it later; if she wants to, of course"

Sara smiled and nodded before focusing again on a confused Nyssa "I instantly remembered all those stories you told me about your mom, and I knew this woman had to be her. She had your eyes, and I would recognize those eyes **anywhere** "

"But that is impossible" Nyssa said frowning and shaking her head "My mother was murdered before July 1995"

"And I knew that, too, which is why I got so curious" she frowned trying to remember exactly how it happened before continuing "I approached her and introduced myself. To say she was cautious of me would be a huge understatement, and I noticed, so I did the only thing I could think of so she would know I meant no harm: I brought up your name"

"That did not work out as she expected" the older woman said while Laurel started loading the coffee table with food and drinks, quietly listening to the full story, too.

Sara chuckled and shook her head "She attacked right away"

"As I said last year, I'm terribly sorry about that"

"It's okay, I would've done the same now that I think about it" the blonde smiled and squeezed her girlfriend's hand again "Obviously, we caused a scene 'cause, even though I love you very much, I was **not** gonna let your mom kill me; that would've sucked for everyone" she smiled at Nyssa's surprised expression "By the way, your mom can kick some ass, babe. I mean, not canary ass, but regular ass"

"Do you need to keep saying the word 'ass'?" Laurel asked amused and her sister shrugged smiling.

Nyssa smiled at them, then turned her head to look at her mother, frowning deeply "I don't recall you **ever** training with the League"

"I had to keep my cover"

"Cover?" her daughter asked confused, the word not sitting right with her. She let go of her mother's hand and moved closer to Sara, shielding the blonde with her own body "Who are you?" she asked cautiously, reaching for the dagger always hidden on her lower back.

Sara noticed and put her hand over Nyssa's, stopping the action. Nyssa sighed and, reluctantly, let go of the handle of her blade.

"I'm your mother, Nyssa"

"My mother did **not** need to maintain a cover" she stated sternly trying to control her emotions.

The older woman sighed and closed her eyes for a second, before looking at her daughter again "Yes, I did. I know your father told you I was dead. That was because he took you away from me when they came to rescue us"

Nyssa stood up and looked down at her mother "Rescue you?" she asked, then started pacing back and forth in front of the couch, trying to make sense of all the information she was given.

"Rescue **us** "

She walked to stand behind Sara and put her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders "Who was supposed to 'rescue **us** ', mother?" Sara sensed she needed the proximity and contact, so she put her hands on top of Nyssa's and leaned back, pressing her back to Nyssa's thighs.

"The organization I was a part of. The Hidden, Nyssa"

"None of this is making any sense" she closed her eyes and squeezed Sara's hands in hers "According to my father that was the organization responsible for your death. I was devastated, mother. I was nine years old and I was told my mother was murdered in cold blood" she opened her eyes and stared at her mother "You let me believe you were dead for **twenty two** **years** "

"Nyssa, I'm sorry—"

"No. You do **not** get to apologize to me" she said angrily through gritted teeth "You ran away like a coward and you left me with **him**. I used to look up to you, mother. You were everything I ever wanted to be one day"

The woman stood up too, a single tear rolling down her cheek "He threatened to kill you, Nyssa!" she snapped angrily startling Sara "And we both know he would have!" she wiped away a few more tears "You were a child and he took you away from me. He threatened your life if I ever came back for you. I would have died for you. I still would, gladly, without giving it a second thought; but I couldn't live knowing he hurt you, or worse, because I wasn't strong enough to walk away when I had to"

"Well, he hurt me anyway" Nyssa said defiantly.

The woman sighed defeated and shook her head "Nyssa—"

"Lourdes" Sara interrupted and noticed Laurel had retreated to the kitchen to give them some much needed space "I think maybe it's better if you both calm down before we continue this conversation"

"Lourdes?" Nyssa asked sneering "Of course. I don't know why I'm surprised about not being aware of my own mother's name. Is Raatko even your real last name?"

"Yes, it is, Nyssa. Everything I gave you, including my last name, is real"

"Forgive me if I don't believe you, **Lourdes** "

"I never lied to you"

Her daughter snorted and looked away "Right"

"Nyssa, I never lied to you" she repeated "Your father **decided** to change my name because he tried to make me forget who I was before being taken to Nanda Parbat. Amina was the name he gave me, and I had no choice but to accept"

"You could have told me"

"You were a child"

"I was old enough to become a proficient swordswoman, but not to learn my mother's real name?" Nyssa asked glaring at her mother again "Your excuses are pathetic. I was not raised by my **father** to believe in such ridiculous lies"

"Your father did **not** raise you. He turned you into a weapon. His most lethal weapon"

"Perhaps, but he was present to witness his daughter grow up into a woman"

"He was a coward who used his daughter to fight his battles for him with false promises"

"As flawed as he might have been, he shaped me into what I am today; the League training is the only reason why I am still standing"

Lourdes sighed "You could have had a real childhood if it wasn't for him and the League"

"And who would have provided said 'real childhood'? My mother, the runaway?"

"Yes, Nyssa! I would have!" the woman snapped again, obviously getting frustrated "I'm your mother, whether you like it or not!"

"Don't give yourself so much credit; I grew up without a mother"

"I am fully aware of that, and the fact that I left is the only reason why you had the chance to grow up at all in the first place"

Sara stood up and turned around to face her girlfriend when she heard her snort in disbelief again, taking her hands in hers "I will not let you do or say something you will regret for the rest of your life" then she faced Lourdes "And I cannot just sit here and watch while your daughter is hurting like this anymore" she took a deep breath and sighed "I know there's a lot both of you still need to say, but I won't let this conversation go on if you keep hurting each other just for the sake of it" she glanced at Nyssa for that last part "If you throw away this chance, you will regret it forever"

Lourdes nodded silently and looked at her daughter, waiting for her answer. When Nyssa sighed defeated and nodded once, she sat back down "I'm not here to hurt you, Nyssa. I will leave and never come back if that's what you want. But I missed you every single day of my life, and I think you deserve to know that"

The blonde placed her hand on her girlfriend's lower back and encouraged her to sit back down, standing behind her for support when she did.

"I will **never** forgive myself for missing you growing up into the beautiful, amazing woman you are today. But I will **not** apologize for choosing your life over my own needs"

Her daughter lowered her gaze for a few seconds, contemplating her next words carefully while Sara kept her hands on her shoulders. She looked back up into her mother's eyes and gave her a short nod "I apologize for my behavior. I rationally understand the reasons behind your decision and should not blame you for what my father forced you to do, when I would have done the same myself if put in your position" she waited for her mother's nod, then continued "However, the child in me who was sentenced to grow up without her mother still resents you, and I cannot be certain the feeling will ever go away"

Lourdes nodded sadly "I understand"

The blonde squeezed Nyssa's shoulder encouragingly and leaned down to kiss the top of her head "Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice and felt the woman nod softly "Are you mad at me?"

The question made the former assassin smile sadly "No, beloved, I am not mad at you"

"Nyssa, you should know Sara saved my life last year. I will be forever in her debt, for many reasons" the woman said after exchanging a pointed look and a nod with Sara.

"Excuse me?"

"Sara…" Lourdes looked at the blonde again, then back at her daughter "...she found me dying in Corto Maltese. Actually, she found me already dead in Corto Maltese. She brought me back and nursed me back to health. She is the only reason I'm here today"

"I feel like I need to clarify here, 'cause, you know... reasons" the blonde said before clearing her throat "I brought her back with CPR and Dr. Stein's help, not with a Lazarus Pit"

Nyssa gasped when realization hit her and her eyes filled with tears "It was you"

"What?" her mother asked confused.

Sara remained silent, but looked down when Nyssa looked up at her to meet her eyes "It was her, wasn't it?"

"Yes" the blonde nodded sadly.

"I'm not following"

"I was there, mother, in Corto Maltese. Merlyn, he…" Nyssa swallowed hard holding back her tears "...I asked him who the woman lying dead was, and he told me it was no one I knew" she shook her head and explained angrily "The bastard lied to me when I failed to recognize you. I should have recognized my own mother"

"I've been told I was a mess, Nyssa; I wouldn't have recognized myself"

"Thank you" Nyssa said looking up at her girlfriend again, who leaned back down to kiss her forehead softly and smiled.

"There's one more thing" Lourdes added after a few seconds, not wanting to interrupt the moment her daughter was having with her other half.

"How can there possibly be more?" Nyssa asked trying not to roll her eyes, making the other two smile "What is it?"

"Do you remember Saracon?"

"Of course I do" Nyssa nodded, smiling sadly at the mention of the boy's name "He was my best friend until both of you were…" she trailed off and frowned, noticing she couldn't say her mother was murdered anymore and wondering if the same applied to her first and best childhood friend.

Lourdes sighed and looked at her apologetically "He is very much alive and he is your half brother, Nyssa. His father is Malcolm Merlyn"

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter. If interested, PM for details.


	5. Mr Mayor, His Mistress and Sara's Ass

_Thanks again for the amazing feedback, guys!_

 _Just to be on the safe side... Beware of the change in the Raiting._

* * *

 **Chapter 05: Mr. Mayor, His Mistress and Sara's White Ass**

"Hold on, this is getting trippy even for me, and that's saying a lot. So you went back in time to Nanda Parbat on a mission and found Nyssa's mom, who should've been dead, but she wasn't. Fishy, to say the least. You kicked each other's asses for a while causing a huge scene, which I would have **loved** to witness, by the way. Then you kept track of her over time and found out she would have died last year, so you went to Corto Maltese and after Nyssa and Malcolm left you gave her CPR and brought her back. Risky, even for you"

"Yes"

"Because Nyssa's older brother, whom she grew up with but had no idea was her brother, is going cuckoo after eating some weird mystic heart—extremely gross—and Nyssa and her mom will **probably** , and I cannot stress that word enough, be the only ones able to help him. But they don't know that yet"

Sara nodded and added "And shouldn't know, Felicity, so hush"

"Of course, I can obviously keep secrets! And Lourdes lost track of…" she frowned trying to remember the weird name Sara gave her before.

"Saracon"

"...Saracon after Merlyn left her for dead, so the guy still thinks she's dead 'cause she couldn't find him yet" she paused "Oh! And Merlyn is Nyssa's crazy brother's father" she rubbed her temple and closed her eyes.

"Correct" Sara answered from her spot, sitting on the hacker's desk, her bare feet resting on a chair next to the other woman.

"Are we gonna address the fact that Malcolm Merlyn seems to have had a lot of obviously unprotected, **impeccably** effective intercourse?"

"I'd rather not, Felicity; and honestly don't know why anyone would want to"

"Anyway! So, Nyssa is still super mad at her mom about everything and they are still going through some stuff right now as we speak"

"Yeah"

"Unsupervised"

"She is a grown woman"

"How do you know she won't kill her?"

She smiled and nudged Felicity's knee with her bare foot "Because she is her mom, dork. And she is good people, regardless of everything that happened. She only wanted to keep Nyssa safe. Would you have killed your mom? She kinda did the same for you"

"Not gonna lie, sometimes I want to, but for entirely different reasons"

Sara chuckled and shook her head "Whatever, nerd. Now, we kinda need you to work your magic and come up with some very fake documents for the three of them, that should actually be very, very real. Can you do that?"

"I'm just gonna assume that's a rhetorical question and move on. Otherwise I should feel insulted" Felicity said turning to face her computer "I will come up with some stuff to get you guys the real deal"

"Fucking love you" Sara answered laughing.

"I know; and you should" the hacker grinned up at her "I like red wine and chocolate, you know, in case you are feeling grateful tomorrow"

Oliver was frowning as he approached them "Sara, what you did was incredibly reckless. What if you altered something?"

"You do know that was a private conversation, right? Nosy much?"

"What if it got you killed?" he obviously decided to ignore that statement to keep judging her.

Sara rolled her eyes at him "What? Is Barry the only one who can time-travel and fix his shit?"

"This is different"

"How exactly? Because I'm a woman?"

"What? That has nothing to do with anything!"

The former assassin shrugged "Then what, Ollie?"

"Think of the consequences"

"Oh, yeah, forgot about the terrible, terrible consequences. My girlfriend got her mother back after you, of all people, killed her father; and she is finally getting closer to actually **be happy**. And so am I, by the way, in case you were wondering or something"

Oliver took a step closer to her, still frowning "I had to kill Ra's, there was no other way. That same night she even told me she wanted to do it herself"

"Yes, because it would have been the honorable way. The League's way. Given their history, which you know absolutely **nothing** about, they both deserved that ending. **She** deserved the chance to prove her father she was willing and able to fight for what was rightfully hers" she paused to take a deep breath, trying to calm down "And, as if taking that away from her wasn't enough, you gave Malcolm-fucking-Merlyn her birthright"

"Look, Sara—"

"I don't give a shit" Sara interrupted him abruptly "I got enough crap from Rip already. He couldn't stop me from doing my shit, what makes you think I care about what **you** have to say about it, after you did everything in your power to lose my trust?"

"You used to care" he shrugged, faking he wasn't hurt by her words.

"Exactly. Used to. I'm a grown ass woman who can kick some serious ass like nobody's business. Including yours. I can make my own decisions, so think whatever you want. It's done and I don't need anyone's approval but Nyssa's. She is the one I've been with for **years** and whom I share a life with, in case you forgot"

"I didn't forget, Sara, but—" he started in a small voice.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, enough with the brooding!" Sara interrupted "I didn't kick your fucking puppy. Not everything is about you, Ollie" she sighed and shook her head "You seriously need to stop that self-righteous crap you have going on. It's annoying, insulting, misogynistic and could get you killed. Probably at Nyssa's hand" she glared at him "And I won't stop her, might even help her"

"So, here's a question, did you have like a picture, 'Back to the Future' style, to see if anyone disappeared from it like Marty's brother and sister?" Felicity asked interrupting their argument "That would've been so cool!"

Sara laughed "You keep getting cuter every time I see you. No, but I had Gideon" she glared at Oliver before saying "I triple checked before doing anything to make sure I wouldn't alter the timeline and kill us all" she put on a fake smile for him and then looked back at Felicity "It's nice to hear some people have so little faith in me, tho. Comforting" she jumped from the table and quickly put her boots back on.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked frowning.

"Oh, shoot! Forgot to ask!" she exclaimed looking at him apologetically "Do I have your permission to go pick my girlfriend up from her mother's, Mr. Mayor? I wouldn't wanna do anything to upset you, but we only have the one car"

He sighed loudly and ran his fingers through his short hair in exasperation "Don't you think you're being over dramatic?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm a woman, so I can hardly think for myself. Why don't you tell me?" she placed her hands on Felicity's shoulders and kissed the top of her head before walking to the elevator. The hacker bit the inside of her cheek trying very hard not to laugh out loud the whole time.

"Tell Nyssa hi for me! See you guys tonight!" Felicity shouted before the elevator doors closed with the very distinct sound of Sara's voice saying "Mr. Mayor Douchebag"

Oliver looked down at the sitting blonde, still frowning "You could've helped there"

"And miss all the fun? Nah. 'Sides, honey, you were kind of an ass to her and Nyssa, you had it coming" she patted his arm, then turned to face her computer again "I am nothing but your mistress; she is your wife's beloved, whatever that means, she out-ranks me… I think. Be grateful she didn't punch you in the throat this time"

Before they could resume their previous activities, the elevator doors opened again "God, how embarrassing, I almost forgot!" Sara said casually walking over to Oliver, placing her left hand on his right shoulder under his curious gaze, before delivering a perfectly aimed and controlled punch to his groin, making him groan in pain and bend over.

"Sara!" Felicity gasped, jumping from her chair and rushing to Oliver's side "I would've liked to have kids someday!"

Sara leaned down so her face was close to Oliver's as he knelt on the floor, still not daring to breathe. She grabbed his face with one hand, squeezing painfully, and made him look at her in the eye before saying through gritted teeth "Maybe next time you'll think twice before acting like a condescending douche. You hurt Nyssa again, in any way, and **I will kill you**. You don't wanna test my restraint; it would be way too easy and far too satisfying to give into my blood lust"

* * *

"You do realize I was reading that, beloved, don't—"

Sara moved around the couch after taking the book from Nyssa's hands from behind, to stand in front of her girlfriend in nothing but her black lacy underwear. Her mere sight interrupting the brunette abruptly. She pressed a button on the remote she had in her hand and soon some music filled the loft.

She smiled to herself, pleased with the reaction she got, then moved to straddle her girlfriend's lap, who immediately placed her hands on her bare thighs.

"You wanna keep reading?" the blonde asked, getting rid of the remote and rubbing the other woman's arms.

Nyssa looked up and down Sara's body before looking into her eyes, half smirk in place "Suddenly I find myself engaged in some immensely more interesting activities than reading"

Sara smiled and moved her hands up the back of Nyssa's neck, then tangled her fingers in her hair before leaning down to kiss her deeply.

The brunette responded immediately, moving her hands slowly up her sides, until her fingers brushed the soft material of her bra, then moved them to the front, slowly raking her nails down Sara's abs.

Sara had to break the kiss when she felt her girlfriend's nails, keeping their lips so close they were almost still touching and hissing loudly. Nyssa smiled and kissed her again, moving one hand up the blonde's back and snapping her bra clasp open, using her other hand to remove it completely.

Feeling extremely naked in comparison, Sara quickly removed her girlfriend's shirt and tossed it aside, somewhere close to where her bra had just landed. She bent down smiling and kissed her again, nibbling on her lip, then biting down on it when she felt those familiar hands move up to her breasts.

She kissed down Nyssa's jaw, moving with the same soft kisses down her neck and rocking her hips involuntarily when she felt a gentle pinch "Oh, fuck"

"Language" the brunette warned smiling.

"Oh, please, you love the swearing when we fuck" she took the opportunity to bite down hard on her neck, before soothing the bite with her tongue, making her girlfriend gasp.

"I believe there is no point in denying it when the proof is so… tangible" Nyssa said smiling and Sara giggled, slowly moving her hand down the brunette's body with a clear goal in mind.

Nyssa sighed softly in anticipation and Sara smiled into her neck before sucking on her pulse point, turning that soft sigh into a shaky one.

Before any woman could react, the front door opened and they barely heard Sin's voice over the music "Guys? We've been knocking for like—GAH! MY EYES! MY EYES! I'M BLIND!" she backed away, her hands dramatically covering her eyes.

"Oh, shit!" Sara gasped and pressed her body to Nyssa's, who immediately wrapped her arms around her, shielding both their bodies from the intruder's eyes. The blonde turned her head to the door, where now a smirking Thea stood looking at them, clearly very amused "What the fuck, Thea?! Don't you guys knock?!"

"We've been knocking for like five minutes. We got worried, that's why we let ourselves in with the key you gave Sin for emergencies" the youngest Queen said still smirking "Guess between the music and your obvious situation you didn't hear"

"You think?!" Sara snapped, making her laugh.

"I know you are a college dropout, but this is general knowledge by now, so you might wanna look into it: sock on the doorknob!"

"The hell is wrong with you, people?! This is **our home**!"

"What's going on? Are they hurt? Let me—" Roy was immediately cut off by Thea's hand firmly on his chest before he could enter the apartment "No way in hell you are stepping foot in here right now. They're more than fine, go help Sin with her blindness"

Nyssa buried her blushing face in the blonde's neck, who wrapped her arms around her, fingers rubbing her scalp for some kind of comfort.

"Are you planning to move and get dressed, or…?" Thea asked smirking, folding her arms and shaking her head in mock confusion.

"For fuck's sake, Thea! Go wait outside!" Sara yelled frustrated.

"Fine!" the younger woman said still smirking "Nice underwear, Sara, very sexy" she stepped out and closed the door behind her before the flying cushion could hit her.

"Habibti" Nyssa whined pitifully looking at her, still blushing furiously.

The blonde smiled and kissed her lips softly "At least you still had your bra on, I'm the half naked one"

"Your back is partially to the door, beloved, they did not see anything but that"

"And my ass"

They both laughed before the blonde moved away from Nyssa's lap, standing up and holding a hand out for her to grab and get up, too. She reached for her bra and her girlfriend's shirt "I'm gonna go upstairs and get dressed, can you let the guys in?"

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"The brave and bold Nyssa al Ghul scared to face three kids?" Sara teased walking up the stairs while the other woman put her shirt back on.

"Raatko" the brunette corrected "And they are most definitely **not** children"

"Tell that to Sin and her newly found blindness" Sara said after clasping her bra back on, leaning on the railing to look at her girlfriend and laughing.

"Fair enough" Nyssa answered smiling up at her and moved to the door, picking up the discarded cushion "Now move away from the railing, beloved, I do not wish to rip Roy's eyes out; I grew quite fond of him, too"

She saw the blonde move back deeper into their open bedroom and could still hear her laughter. Shaking her head and smiling, she opened the door "Please, do come in"

"Is she wearing clothes?" Sin asked, still leaning back against the wall covering her eyes.

Roy snorted and pushed her shoulder so she would start walking after Thea. Once the three of them were inside, Sin having miraculously recovered her sight, Nyssa closed the door and told them to make themselves comfortable.

"Where's Sara?" Roy asked looking around.

"Upstairs, putting clothes on" Nyssa answered blushing to Thea's amusement.

"Thank God!" Sin exclaimed sitting on the sectional sofa, deliberately avoiding the loveseat where she inadvertently caught the two women minutes ago.

"Shut up, Sin!" the blonde yelled from upstairs "You didn't see anything!"

"Yes I did!" the young woman yelled back "Some side boob and your lace clad pale ass! And I couldn't spot your right hand, so I don't really wanna think about where that was" she glanced at Nyssa with one eyebrow raised after saying that.

Thea started laughing "Yeah, I kinda saw that, too"

"Oh, bite me! You're all just jealous!"

Nyssa retreated to the kitchen side of the loft in silence to retrieve some water and hide her still blushing cheeks, while Roy just looked back and forth between the arguing women, knowing a lot better than to intervene in their argument.

"Jealous of what? Your white, pale ass?" Thea asked giggling.

"That too, but mostly 'cause we are older and have way more sex than all three of you combined" the blonde said laughing while walking down the stairs fully dressed.

"Gross, Sara! You are like my sister!" Sin exclaimed, closing her eyes and covering her ears with her hands.

"She's traumatized, see what you did?" Thea pointed at the younger girl, laughing amused "She is even avoiding the sex couch"

The blonde moved closer to the sofa Sin was sitting on and took one hand away from her ear "FYI, we had sex on every single piece of furniture in this apartment. Including this couch"

Nyssa choked on her water and started coughing.

"Jesus!" Sin jumped from the couch in less than a second and punched her kinda-sister's arm "So gross! I hate you"

Sara and Thea started laughing, while Roy kept it to the most respectful smirk he could come up with. Sin kept brushing her clothes and shivering in the most exaggeratedly way possible.

"Guys!" Thea exclaimed getting everyone's attention while looking at her watch "I left my brother running everything in my brief absence, we need to get going, I don't trust him **that** much with my business, so move your asses and let's go!"


	6. Verdant

**Chapter 06: Verdant**

Sara pushed herself up on her elbows, leaning forward over the bar to shout something at the bartender over the loud music. Whatever it was, the bartender seemed to understand her and nodded, before busying himself looking for a specific bottle.

She turned around smiling and kissed her girlfriend's cheek, who smiled in return.

"Has anyone seen my brother?" Thea shout-asked frowning while looking around.

"Were you looking for me?" a male voice asked from behind her.

She turned around and hugged the man briefly "For the hundredth time, you really need to shave"

He shrugged his shoulders, one hand rubbing his short beard "The missus likes it"

Sara snorted and rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut when her girlfriend elbowed her.

"Everything okay here?" Thea asked him smiling.

"Why wouldn't it be? I was in charge"

"Precisely my point"

The bartender tapped Sara's shoulder signaling six shot glasses before moving to serve another customer. The blonde started handing them out, glaring at her girlfriend when she tried to protest "Yes, you'll drink that"

"Is it imperative that I do?"

"Yes!" Thea shouted giggling over the music "I love drunk Nyssa!"

The woman in question rolled her eyes, but downed her shot anyway along with the rest of the group "I am **not** getting inebriated this time"

"That's what everyone who's gonna get hammered says right before they get hammered" Sin observed grinning.

Sara smirked and frowned in disbelief looking at the brunette standing next to her "You got wasted with Thea? It took me like a year to convince you to get wasted with me! And that was **after** we were dating!"

"Oh, not just me!" the younger woman said giggling "Laurel, Lyla, Sin and Felicity were there, too"

"It was girl's night" Sin explained grimacing at the term.

Sara chuckled and handed them all another shot "Things got weird…" Thea downed her second shot and continued "...Laurel got gropey"

A small chuckle escaped Nyssa's lips at the memory, making her almost spit her drink "She did" she agreed nodding.

The blonde finished her shot and motioned for the bartender to leave the bottle, then looked at Nyssa again, eyebrow raised "With you?"

The brunette shook her head "Not particularly. I recall Ms. Smoak getting most of her attention"

"You know, Nyssa, after all this time, you should call me Felicity like everyone else does. I thought we were friends; you've seen me puke, even held my hair up while I was doing it, that's like the ultimate bonding experience" the blonde hacker observed walking to them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the cute Felicity Smoak and Mr. Mayor Douchebag!" Sara exclaimed after her third shot.

"It's good to see you, too, Sara" Oliver said annoyed with her attitude already.

"Wish I could say the same" she downed two more shots and got away from the group, stealing a beer bottle from the bar and heading to the dance floor.

Nyssa watched her go, her face showing clear amusement, then looked at Oliver and Felicity "I apologize for her behavior, she is slightly tense tonight"

"Yeah, we caught them going at it so she didn't really get any" Thea added grinning and Nyssa blushed again.

The hacker shook her head smiling "It's okay, Sara and I are cool. Her problem is with your husband, Nyssa, and I'm staying the hell away from it and enjoying the show" she leaned over the bar to order a drink.

"I would greatly appreciate if you did not refer to Mr. Queen as my husband, Felicity" the brunette said frowning "It is deeply unsettling and you are all fully aware that our marriage was forced upon both of us by my father. It is void now that the league is disbanded"

"God, we really are a very fucked up family, huh?" Thea observed smiling.

"You have no idea" Felicity mumbled under her breath looking at Nyssa, who glared at her.

Thea grinned when her brother wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head "And you wouldn't want us any other way"

"No, I wouldn't" she answered smiling and leaning into his embrace "I could definitely do without our psycho father, tho"

"Amen" Felicity agreed, nodding while sipping the thick, pink drink from the straw sticking out of her tall glass "Mhm! Speaking of crazy family, there's your wife, Mr. Merlyn"

They turned to see a smiling Laurel making her way through the crowd to them. The woman greeted the group and immediately wrapped both her arms around Tommy's waist, who kissed her softly returning the hug with his free arm "Hi beautiful"

Thea moved away from her brother's embrace and winked at Laurel "He's all yours, I'm gonna go join Sara over there" she grabbed two beer bottles and moved to the dance floor, where the blonde was already in her own little world, dancing carelessly.

Laurel, still holding onto her husband, reached for Nyssa's hand and dragged both of them up to the VIP section overlooking the dance floor "C'mon, I wanna know how it went with your mom today"

Nyssa suppressed a groan and followed her "It went as good as it could, what else is there to tell?"

The three of them got comfortable and Laurel smiled while rolling her eyes "I want details, Nyssa!"

The brunette woman sighed and started telling her parts of the long conversation she had with her mother earlier that day.

A couple of minutes later Oliver and Felicity joined them, along with a bottle of scotch and six glasses.

Nyssa kept glancing to the dark dance floor every now and then while answering Laurel and Felicity's seemingly endless questions. She spotted Sara dancing, smiling happily, and it brought a soft, easy smile to her face; the blonde looked slightly intoxicated, but nothing either one of them couldn't handle. She had seen her in worse condition before and, even then, Sara could hold her own just fine.

Laurel excused herself to go to the restroom, and Felicity followed her shortly after finishing her ridiculously pink drink. So, taking advantage of the sudden stop in their interrogation, Nyssa sat more comfortably and focused on the dance floor, sipping on the drink Oliver had just poured for her, with a half smile on her face.

She watched, slightly amused, as a young man approached Sara. He leaned closer, obviously to talk to her over the music, and the blonde quickly shook her head 'no', said something, and pointed in her direction, probably letting him know she was not alone. The man nodded and smiled politely before walking away as Sara took a long sip from her bottle while she kept dancing; a new, even more upbeat song starting.

The brunette chuckled softly to herself when she saw Sara get overly excited recognizing the new song. She saw her exchange a knowing look and some unintelligible yelling with Thea, who was dancing close by, also still drinking her beer.

She shook her head at the inappropriate language of the song, grinning when both Sara and Thea shouted the words with exaggerated—drunk—enthusiasm and got closer to dance together.

Laurel came back from the restroom and sat down next to her, keeping quiet when she noticed Nyssa's gaze fixed lovingly on her sister. She smiled and leaned closer to the other woman "You've got it bad, honey" she said, making her laugh, then decided to stay quiet, looking at the two women dancing happily.

Nyssa noticed from the corner of her eye as two smirking men approached Sara and Thea, but her previous smile disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Their obvious and aggressive insistence after the two tried to dismiss them several times stirred something inside her she hadn't truly experienced in a long time and, even back then, used to be reserved exclusively for Mr. Queen.

She immediately noticed Sara's body tense after something one of the men said, her eyes going icy cold. The blonde handed her empty bottle to the younger girl with a nod and clenched her fists as she turned to face the two men again.

That was the moment Nyssa realized her girlfriend was about to attack. She had seen that look way too many times before and knew she had a window of merely a few short seconds before all hell broke loose.

Laurel noticed the exact same thing and stood up immediately when Nyssa did, ready to intervene. The former assassin looked at her reassuringly "Stay here" she instructed, then glanced at Roy, who was searching for her eyes.

She jerked her head in the direction of their respective significant others and both of them headed to the dance floor simultaneously. Nyssa jumped over the railing in one swift motion, landing perfectly on her feet, and the young man started pushing his way through the crowd as fast as he could.

"What was that, asshole?!" She heard Sara shout as she approached her from behind.

She grabbed her wrist softly just in time "Easy, habibti" she said soothingly in Arabic, stepping closer to her girlfriend, her warm breath tickling Sara's neck as she spoke close to her ear "He is not worth it"

The taller man looked at her and smirked "You wanna join us, baby? I bet I can show both of you a good time"

Nyssa felt her girlfriend's arm jerk again, so she tightened the grip on her wrist to prevent any other movement "As appealing as it sounds…" she said grimacing "...we will have to politely decline your invitation" she saw Roy standing next to Thea and gave him a short nod in the direction of the bar.

He understood her perfectly and took a swearing, struggling and kicking Thea away from the dance floor, in case these guys were stupid enough to try to get too handsy with the two most dangerous women he had ever met.

The two men looked at each other after Roy dragged Thea away and smirked "Well, we are back to one on one, I guess"

"Babe, please let me knock that fucking smirk outta his stupid face!" Sara struggled against Nyssa's grip again "C'mon, lemme go! I'm not a damsel in distress here who needs rescuing, I can take care of these jerks and we both know it"

The brunette tried to hide her smile and started rubbing Sara's lower back with her free hand "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that, habibti. You are quite intoxicated, I can see that. You will probably take it too far and we are supposed to keep a low profile"

"Um, did you just call her 'babe'? Are you two together? And what is that, like Arabic or something?" the man on the back asked interrupting their exchange, then looked at his friend "Dude, this got even hotter!"

The other man smirked and was stupid enough to reach over to try and run his hand down the brunette's arm.

He immediately learned that was a terrible idea.

Before he could even make contact Nyssa grabbed his hand and twisted his wrist at an unnatural angle, making him scream and bend over trying to ease some of the pressure that was causing him so much pain.

She moved to stand in front of Sara and kept her hold, twisting his wrist even harder, to the point where even the slightest increment of pressure would break it. She looked at both men in the eye and could see their fear, which brought a satisfied smile to her face.

Leaning closer, she said threateningly "Consider yourselves lucky. There will **not** be a second warning. If I ever see you harassing women again or any other living creature, for that matter, you won't walk away unscathed. I am thoroughly trained in **several** ways to make you agonize for days, to the point where you shall beg for a quick, clean death"

"Who the hell are you?!" the other man asked, trying to help his friend.

"Your worst fucking nightmare, asshole!" drunk Sara yelled from behind her girlfriend "And so am I, so tread very carefully from now on. I'm not as nice or polite as she is"

Nyssa chuckled at Sara's words and finally let go of his arm when two bouncers approached them per Thea's instructions. She took a step back, feeling the blonde's hand rubbing the small of her back, while the bouncers escorted the two men outside.

"Are you alright, beloved?" Nyssa asked turning around to examine the other woman.

"Yeah…" Sara nodded "...kinda bummed I didn't get to kick some ass, tho"

The brunette chucked and shook her head "I don't think Thea would have appreciated the disaster and wreckage you could have caused to her establishment"

"True, but we can always pay for the repairs and stuff" Sara said smiling and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck, fingers tangled almost immediately in brunette hair.

"We?"

"Well, yeah! You're loaded! And you wouldn't let me fight them alone, would ya? Even though I easily could and still have energy to spare after"

Nyssa moved her hands to the other woman's hips and smiled, leaning her body against Sara's and whispering softly in Arabic "I would save all that energy for later if I were you, habibti"

The blonde shivered feeling the gush of warm air trickle down her neck again. She pulled back to look into dark brown eyes, then kissed her passionately "Stay here with me?" she asked breathlessly, leaning her forehead on Nyssa's.

The brunette smiled and nodded, kissing her softly one more time. She kept her hold on those hips she knew by heart after so many years and noticed Sara's eyes visibly darken.

In a matter of minutes Sara was discreetly pulling at her hair while kissing her slowly, making Nyssa growl.

"Habibti"

"Mm?"

"Please"

"Please what, babe?"

"You are purposefully driving me insane"

Sara smirked looking into her eyes "Should I stop?"

The brunette winced at the thought "Is there any other option? We are in public" and then saw the other woman grin mischievously.

"Maybe I can fix that"

"How?" she asked carefully.

Sara let go of the grip she had on her hair and took a step back, reaching for her girlfriend's hand and dragging her out of the dance floor. She approached Thea at the bar and said something in her ear that made the younger woman giggle, nod enthusiastically and hand her a sealed bottle with some amber colored liquid inside, shouting over the music "On the house, have fun, girls!"

The blonde guided Nyssa to the basement door, punched the code and the door unlocked with a loud buzz, allowing them to walk down the stairs to a fully renovated storage room.

She unscrewed the cap of the bottle and took a long gulp before carefully shoving the other woman in the direction of some wooden crates that were laying around.

Nyssa couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips at the action, and took the bottle from her hand "I do believe you have had enough already, habibti"

"Yeah, you definitely need to catch up" Sara answered grinning and advancing on her.

After taking a few steps back, Nyssa felt her backside pressed against one of the crates and took a few sips from the bottle before placing it down on a nearby crate.

The blonde grabbed the edge of the crate, one hand on either side of her girlfriend's body, and pressed herself against her. Their lips colliding in a hungry, almost desperate kiss.

Nyssa nibbled on Sara's bottom lip softly making her moan, and grinned at the response she got.

Sara moved a few inches back to catch her breath, looking into her girlfriend's eyes with fire dancing wildly in hers. She smirked, bit her own lip and moved her hands to undo Nyssa's tight leather pants, pulling them slightly down.

The brunette gasped when she felt her girlfriend's hand carefully sneaking inside her underwear. She moved her hands to the back of Sara's neck, her fingers getting tangled in messy blonde hair as an involuntary reflex, which made Sara grin and nip at the sensitive skin of her neck "Beloved, are you sure about this? What if someone—"

"Then we give them a fucking good show and teach them how it's done" Sara interrupted smirking "Now shut up and enjoy your hot ass girlfriend fucking you, will ya?"


	7. Gross, Mysterious Tea & Auntie Nys

**Chapter 07: Gross, Mysterious Tea & Auntie Nys**

"No, go away"

"Habibti"

"Nuhuh"

Nyssa chuckled and rubbed Sara's back "Sara, please"

The blonde was laying sprawled in bed, face down, frowning and mumbling incoherently, not wanting to fully wake up yet "No, lemme sleep"

"Captain Lance and Mrs. Smoak will arrive any minute now"

Sara turned her face to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers over her head "Tell them I'm not here"

"You invited them for breakfast"

"Tell them I died... again"

"Am I supposed to find that humorous, Sara?" the brunette asked coldly.

"Just get rid of them and come back to bed with me"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, beloved"

"Why not?" the blonde whined pitifully.

"Because you are a grown woman and you should behave like one" Nyssa pulled back the covers in one swift motion and stared down at her girlfriend "Up. Now"

Sara groaned and rolled onto her back, stretching and yawning "You're mean"

"Be that as it may, you need to get out of bed"

The blonde groaned, rolled her eyes and sat up. As soon as she did she had to shut her eyes and move a hand to the side of her head "Ugh! My head is killing me"

"There is tea waiting for you downstairs to help you with it" the brunette answered and walked to the stairs "I will be expecting you in the kitchen in five minutes' time"

Sara groaned and got up "I don't want your gross tea"

Nyssa smiled as she walked down the stairs "Then you shall deal with your hangover however you see fit, but I don't look forward to hearing you complain about it all day long"

As soon as she took the final step there was a soft knock on the door, so she went to answer it, not wanting to make their guests wait.

She opened the door, but before she could greet them, Sara's voice sounded loud and clear from upstairs "You know, I don't remember you having a problem with my drunkenness last night when we were doing it in Verdant against some crates" Nyssa blushed, completely unable to find her voice, and looked mortified at Captain Lance and Mrs. Smoak standing on the other side of the door "Or here, for that matter! Gotta admit, you and your tongue made drunk Sara very, very happy last night, babe"

"SARA!" Quentin yelled just as mortified as Nyssa was.

"DAD?!"

Donna smiled and pushed him inside when the man wouldn't move "Hi Sara, we're here, sweetie" she said winking at a still mortified Nyssa and rubbing her back very motherly like.

"Oh my God! How much of that did you hear?!"

They heard the sound of bare feet running around upstairs "Enough to never be able to sleep again"

Donna rolled her eyes at him "Quentin, Sara is twenty-eight years old and living with her girlfriend. Do you really hold onto the ridiculous illusion that they don't have regular sex?"

He huffed loudly and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose "No, but it doesn't mean I need to hear about it! She's my baby, Donna!"

Nyssa cleared her throat "Please make yourselves comfortable. I will go bring Sara downstairs and then probably lay down to die from sheer embarrassment"

"Oh, honey, relax…" the older woman rubbed her arm affectionately "...he's overreacting"

"No, I'm not"

"Yes, you are" she sat down at the table "Your daughter is happy, what else could you possibly ask for?"

"Less details?!"

"Oh my God, dad!" Sara yelled walking down the stairs before Nyssa could go upstairs looking for her.

He turned to look at her "No, young lady, you don't get to 'oh-my-God-dad' me!"

His daughter walked to stand next to her completely frozen girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her waist "What's the big deal? Do you think I'm saving myself for my wedding night or something? I've been with Nyssa for like **seven** years. We have sex. Get over it!" she kissed Nyssa's cheek, then looked at her father again "Now stop it, you are making her uncomfortable"

Quentin looked pointedly at the brunette "You do remember our little chat, don't you?"

"I do, Captain"

"What chat?" Sara asked looking between her father and her girlfriend. Both ignored her.

"I'm keeping my promise" he said.

"So am I"

"Donna, do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Sara asked, getting a shrug from the woman.

"Good" Quentin said sternly.

Nyssa held his gaze and gave him a short nod. The man, satisfied with the response, went to sit next to Donna.

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

The brunette kissed her forehead and gave her a sweet half smile "There are things that simply do not concern you, beloved"

"You were **obviously** talking about me"

"I know this might sound surprising, but not everything revolves around you, Sara" her father said.

"Ouch"

"Well, that's what you get for nosing around other people's business, baby"

The blonde rolled her eyes at her father and went to the kitchen to get her gross tea, then took a seat across the man; Nyssa sat next to her, pouring herself some of her own tea.

"Jesus, this is so gross" Sara complained after her second sip.

"It is good for your current state. Drink it"

"What's her current state?" Donna asked.

"Unbelievably hungover" the younger blonde answered before taking another sip and scrunching up her face in disgust.

"Too much fun last night?"

Nyssa smiled at the older woman, while Sara went with a hearty chuckle "Kinda"

"What is that tea, anyway?"

"Raatko super secret family recipe" Sara explained.

"What, like some herbal tea?"

"Yeah, but not your regular herbs. These are middle-east-y, very strong and very gross"

"It's not pot, is it? 'Cause you remember I'm a cop, right?"

"Like I would say pot is gross" Sara mumbled under her breath.

Donna started laughing, and Nyssa looked at the man smiling before he had the chance to register his daughter's words "I can assure you it is not cannabis, Captain"

"No, I have **that** safely stashed away" Sara said winking at the other blonde, who started laughing again.

"What?!"

"Huh?"

"Sara…"

"Daddy…"

"I'm a cop"

"I'm a college dropout"

"Are you hiding drugs?"

"What drugs?"

"Are you high right now?"

"I'm drinking gross, mysterious tea, it's a possibility. Maybe Nyssa is secretly drugging me so she can take advantage of my willing state after you leave"

"For the love of God, Sara!"

"God and I are cool, daddy, don't worry"

Nyssa bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at the exchange and noticed that Donna was doing the same.

"You are impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, I hear that all the time" she grinned at her father.

"She takes great pride from it, actually" the brunette said smiling.

"What can I say? I love being a pain in the ass"

Captain Lance looked questioningly at Nyssa "But seriously, is she high?"

* * *

"So, is it safe to say you don't want to arrest or kill my girlfriend anymore?" Sara asked bouncing the toddler she was holding in her arms.

Lyla smirked and glanced at Nyssa, then at Sara "It is" she assured her and took a sip from her coffee mug "I've never held a personal grudge against Nyssa, anyway"

"Yeah, right" the blonde snorted.

"It's true, Sara" at the mention of her name in her mother's voice, the toddler turned her head to look at her questioningly "Big Sara, baby, not you" the woman said smiling sweetly at her daughter "It was work. Things clearly aren't black or white for me anymore. Nyssa and I got the chance to know each other a little better over the past few months and I can assure you, we are good" the woman looked at the former leader of the League of Assassins sitting next to her, casually sipping her tea, and smiled "I owed her at least a chance after she saved mine and Sara's life"

Sara nodded, satisfied with the answer after exchanging a look with her girlfriend that assured her Lyla was telling the truth. She smiled at the toddler, then mock glared at her mother "Seriously, Lyla? 'Big Sara'? I totally resent that"

John laughed and shook his head "What do you suggest? We need some way to address both of you when you are in the same room"

"Well, yeah, but does it have to be that? Can't you say 'cute Sara' and 'regular Sara'?" the blonde asked focusing again on the giggling toddler "I'm sure regular Sara here won't have a problem with you recognizing my cuteness"

The statement made the other three grown ups laugh, so the happy toddler started laughing too "See? She's cool with it"

"How about we just use 'baby Sara' for her and just 'Sara' for you?" Lyla suggested.

"It could work, but let's not rule out 'cute Sara' just yet"

"You really are a piece of work, huh?" John asked smiling and wrapping one arm around the blonde's shoulders.

"People keep saying that, but I'd rather see myself as eccentric" she grabbed a stuffed elephant from the couch and started playing with baby Sara, who was now giggling and clapping happily, loving that the grown ups were laughing, too.

The toddler reached out excitedly for Sara's face after the blonde kissed her forehead and accidentally smacked the heel of her tiny hand into the woman's nose.

"Ow!" Sara exclaimed giggling, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand "You pack some serious punch there, babygirl, daddy should be proud"

"He is" John said grinning.

Nyssa stood up from the couch and took baby Sara from her girlfriend's arms, smiling sweetly at the other woman as the toddler wrapped her arms around her neck "The two of you are more alike than you realize, beloved" she took the elephant too, still smiling at a confused Sara "Your nose is bleeding"

The blonde looked at the back of the hand she used to rub her nose and saw some blood there "Oh, shit!"

Nyssa rolled her eyes at her "There is an impressionable toddler in the room. If you are not willing to watch your language for my benefit, at least do it for hers"

"Shit!" baby Sara exclaimed giggling.

The brunette's eyes opened twice their regular size, but before she could say anything, Sara ran away in the direction of the bathroom "Gotta stop the bleeding, bye!"

Lyla smiled and touched Nyssa's arm "Don't worry about it, she already knew that one. Johnny keeps forgetting she repeats everything she hears"

The man shrugged his shoulders "I'm gonna blame that one on her anyway" he said pointing to the bathroom door "I've suffered enough with the F word already"

About a minute later Sara came out of the bathroom with a small piece of cotton sticking out of her left nostril "So…" she said looking around the room nervously, avoiding Nyssa's eyes.

The brunette focused on the toddler to hide the smile that was trying to come out. Lyla exchanged a pointed look with her and had to hide her's with her mug.

"Yeah, nice job, big Sara!" Dig exclaimed, faking an angry glare.

The blonde rolled her eyes and groaned "Look, I'm sorry, Dig. What are the chances that she decides to repeat that one?"

Lyla couldn't hold it any longer and she burst out laughing, startling Sara "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I'm her mother and I shouldn't laugh, but—" she snorted and started laughing again.

Nyssa kept her attention on baby Sara and the elephant, keeping it together a lot better than Lyla "How did you end up leading A.R.G.U.S., I will never understand" she said under her breath, making the other woman laugh even harder.

"Now in a few years we can tell her the story of how auntie Sara was the one who taught her how to swear like a sailor" Dig said snorting.

"It was only one word, Diggle!"

"The first of many, probably" Nyssa added.

"Et tu, Nyssa?"

"We all know from experience that you are very capable of 'swearing like a sailor', as Mr. Diggle pointed out. It is only a matter of time, habibti"

The blonde rolled her eyes and moved to sit on the couch next to Lyla "I'm never gonna live this one down, am I?"

"Nope!" John said laughing.

"Well, whatever! Joke's on you, I'm gonna be her favorite aunt because of that"

Nyssa smiled when baby Sara took the elephant from her hand and hugged it close to her chest, then moved it to make it look like the stuffed toy was kissing Nyssa, making kissy noises "You are going to be her favorite aunt because of who you are, not because of your extremely inappropriate language" she kissed the elephant back, then tickled baby Sara, making her giggle happily again.

John and Lyla exchanged a knowing look and both of them smiled "So…" he started, clearing his throat and smirking when Lyla shot him a warning look "...am I ever gonna be uncle Dig?"

His wife rolled her eyes at him, but he couldn't care less. Sara looked at him confused "Don't you already have a nephew?"

Nyssa sat cross-legged on the floor with baby Sara, grabbing a couple more stuffed animals for the toddler, who started piling them up in front of her before kicking the pile, sending them flying everywhere "His question was regarding **you** , beloved" she said nonchalantly, showing baby Sara the proper way to throw a kick while sitting down.

"Oh?" Sara said frowning, then it hit her "Oh! You mean…" she pointed first to Nyssa, then to herself, then back and forth between them a couple more times.

Dig nodded, his eyebrows raised and still smirking "Yeah, I mean…" he then repeated the gesture, pointing between both former assassins.

"Um, we didn't really…" she frowned and looked and her girlfriend's back, who was still playing with baby Sara, completely unfazed while she was starting to freak out "I mean, we never…"

"I believe what she is trying to say, while fighting a panic attack, is that we did not get to discuss the topic of having children yet"

"Yes, that!"

"Auntie Nys" baby Sara called the woman, pointing impatiently at her feet.

Lyla smiled and looked at Nyssa as the woman tied baby Sara's shoes, which had come undone after so much kicking. She watched the toddler smile in appreciation, then move to sit down on Nyssa's lap, getting comfortable with her head on the woman's chest, snuggling in and closing her eyes tiredly.

She leaned closer to Sara, who was watching them too, while Nyssa wrapped her arms protectively around baby Sara and kissed the top of her head "How are your ovaries **not** kicking the crap out of you right now?"


	8. 3 am

Pivotal chapter for the sequel after this kinda-very-long-multi-chapter-still-not-finished-sorta-prologue.

Huge thanks to everyone who is still leaving comments and following this story, regardless of its "all over the place for now" quality. You guys rock!

* * *

 **Chapter 08: 3 a.m.**

"Nyssa?" Sara whispered staring at the ceiling and waited for an answer "Are you asleep?"

"Profoundly"

She smiled and turned her head to Nyssa's side of the bed "You sure?"

"Positive"

The blonde chuckled and moved to lay on her side, facing her girlfriend "Why weren't you freaking out before?"

Nyssa opened her eyes and looked at her, frowning in the dark "I am not certain I'm following you, beloved. Care to be more specific?"

"Before, you know…" she sighed and moved closer when the other woman rolled onto her side to face her "...when Dig was asking about kids"

"Oh" she smiled in the dark "Should I 'freak out'?"

"No! I mean, it's actually good that you didn't. But since I kinda did…" she moved her hand to the other woman's hip, rubbing the soft skin with her thumb "...I was wondering. We never talked about it and I don't want you to get the wrong impression"

"What would 'the wrong impression' be?"

"That I don't want 'em"

Nyssa smiled and kissed her softly "Then what was the reason behind your reaction?"

"He caught me off guard, I guess"

"Why is this topic keeping you wide awake at 3 a.m.?"

"I told you, I don't want you to get the wrong impression"

"Is that all?"

"Maybe"

The brunette smiled softly. She moved her hand up her girlfriend's arm "Do you wish to discuss it further?" she asked running her fingers through Sara's messy blonde hair, feeling the woman nod her answer "Alright, then"

"Why didn't we talk about this before?"

"Should I start confectioning a list containing all of the reasons?"

Her quick answer made Sara laugh wholeheartedly "No, but even before I…" she paused, sighed and frowned sadly "...left after the undertaking, we never really talked about our future, and we've already been together for years. Isn't that weird?"

"I wouldn't know, beloved"

"Well, me neither, not an expert on healthy relationships, but I think people usually discuss that kinda stuff"

Nyssa took a deep breath and looked at her fingers, still moving through Sara's hair "If I am being entirely honest with you and myself, I never thought I would live long enough to plan a future"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes"

"You wanted to take your father's place someday; that meant you kinda had to live long enough. And why am I hearing about all of this just now?"

Nyssa smiled and used her thumb to rub the blonde's jaw "I wanted to take my rightful place, yes, that is what I was raised and trained to do. But, deep down, I knew that changed the day I heard you laugh at my father's demonstration of power. That was the moment I fell in love with you. I realized then that it would never happen"

"What? Why?"

"Either because I would die protecting you, or because I wouldn't have a future to plan if I failed and something ever happened to you. Look at what happened, Sara: I ended up married to Oliver Queen, for heaven's sake!"

"Don't remind me of that, will ya? But, yeah, kinda know what you mean" Sara tried to smile, but the sadness was evident in her eyes, even in the dark of their bedroom "You never, I don't know, thought about starting a family of your own before finding me?"

"Before we met I never even entertained the idea of bringing children into the world, no; because the world I used to live in was simply not suitable for children. I would never subject my own child to the same fate I had no choice but to embrace. The way we used to live, beloved, did not leave room to contemplate some delusional happy ending. You, of all people, know that. Sooner or later—"

"But what if we both lived and..." she interrupted her girlfriend, not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence "...dunno, maybe, with you as Ra's al Ghul—"

Now it was Nyssa's turn to interrupt her "I would have released you the very second I became the Demon's Head"

Sara fell silent and took a few seconds to compose herself, trying to decide how she felt about it "Who says I would've wanted that?"

"Your wishes would be irrelevant"

"Comforting" she rolled her eyes and sighed loudly "I'm serious, Nyssa"

"So am I. That was not the life I wished for you, beloved. You got dragged into it because it was a choice between training or execution. Joining the League was the lesser of two evils"

"Look…" the blonde sighed and moved her hand to her girlfriend's back, her fingers tracing soft circles on the exposed skin "...I get it. And I would probably do the same in your place; but it's stupid to discuss that now 'cause there's no more League. So, whatever…" she kissed Nyssa's lips softly and felt her smile into the kiss "...do you want a life and future with me **now**?"

"Undoubtedly"

"Do you want kids now that we can have a sorta normal life?"

"Eventually" she smiled softly "Do you?"

Sara smiled, too, and wrapped her arm tighter around her girlfriend's waist "Never thought I would be saying this, but yeah, definitely"

"Why is that?"

The blonde shrugged "Dunno, I like kids, don't get me wrong, but never wanted some of my own before" she saw her girlfriend frown "I really, really do now that I'm with you, Nyssa. You changed the way I see… well, everything, to be honest. I'm not afraid of screwing them up or be a bad mom, 'cause you'll be there with me"

"You could never be a bad mother, habibti; you have the biggest and purest heart I have ever seen. Your capacity to love never ceases to amaze me" The brunette smiled softly and kissed Sara's lips tenderly "Now, should I expect more 'freaking out' from you after discussing this topic?"

The other woman shook her head and giggled "No, but we should probably, you know, get married before we discuss **actually** having kids. I mean, if we are doing one, we might as well do both. Not that it'll change anything between us, anyway; you're stuck with my annoying ass, married or not. But it will make starting a family way easier"

"Then we shall get married" Nyssa smiled and kissed her again before yawning "Will you be able to sleep now, beloved? I have to admit I'm exhausted"

Sara smiled and scooted even closer, allowing her girlfriend to wrap her arms around her and kiss her forehead "Yeah, sorry"

"Goodnight, habibti"

"Night, babe"

Sara sighed happily, comfortable in her girlfriend's arms and more relaxed now that she got the chance to talk about what was bothering her. She took a deep breath, Nyssa's perfume calming her even more, and closed her eyes.

"Nyssa?" she asked after about a minute of silence.

"Mm?"

"Did we just get engaged?"

"Yes, Sara" Nyssa answered sleepily "Now sleep"

* * *

"Why can't you do **anything** like a normal person, Sara?!" Laurel asked beyond irritated. She was sitting on the counter glaring at her sister, who was occupying a stool by the kitchen island, while Nyssa and Tommy cooked dinner a few feet away from them. Or, actually, Nyssa cooked and Tommy helped her however he could.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"What kinda proposal is that?" her older sister asked to explain her previous question.

Sara rolled her eyes and took a sip from her beer bottle "What's your problem? Not like it was **your** proposal. We're more than happy with the way it happened"

"I think it was romantic" Tommy commented, not that any of the Lances cared, but Nyssa was nice enough to smile at him.

Laurel huffed grumpily "I would have liked the opportunity to help pick a ring"

"No ring…" her sister said holding her left hand in the air "...see?" then she looked at her fiancée "Hold your hand up, babe, so Laurel can see there's no ring there either"

Nyssa smiled and did as instructed "Engagement rings are an inconvenience for us, Laurel"

"How? Engagement rings can't be an inconvenience for **anyone**!" the woman answered looking fondly at hers.

"Have you tried to throw a punch with that rock on your finger?" Sara asked smirking.

"No, I'm civil now"

"Sure" the younger woman snorted.

"Oh, shut up! You are not assassins anymore!"

"We still train every day. I have the bruises to prove it" Sara said lifting her shirt and pointing at her ribs, showing her sister the big blue-ish bruise that laid there, making her wince.

"Seriously? Every day?" Tommy asked looking at Nyssa.

"Yes, that is the main reason we bought the apartment below this one and turned it into a gym" she explained smiling.

"Hey, now that I think of it, weren't you supposed to be broke, Merlyn?" the blonde asked frowning "How the hell did you get her **that** ring?"

"I have my resources" he laughed shrugging his shoulders.

"You mean you borrowed money from Oliver?"

"Please, he was as broke as I was when I proposed!" he smirked and winked at Laurel before focusing on Sara again "That's none of your business, kiddo"

The blonde narrowed her eyes and glared at him "I'll find out"

"I'm sure you will. Anyway! What about an engagement dagger or some other lethal weapon, then?" the older Lance sister asked not letting Sara change the subject.

"Did you just suggest an 'engagement dagger'?" Tommy asked smirking at his wife.

Laurel shrugged and took a sip of wine "I don't know what they're into"

"You wanna know what we're into, perv?" Sara asked with a smirk of her own.

"Oh, gross, Sara!"

"Get it out of you system now, Sara" Tommy said turning around to face her "You won't be able to do it once Dinah gets here; you're not **that** crazy"

"You'd be surprised" Sara said chuckling "I don't embarrass easily and don't really care what people think about me"

"There is no way you are making your little jokes and innuendos during dinner with mom"

"Challenge accepted, Dinah Laurel Lance"

Nyssa turned around next to Tommy to look at Laurel "Dear God, Laurel. What have you done?"

Before Laurel could regret her words, there was a knock on the door and Sara jumped from her seat, faking the most ridiculous evil laugh anyone had ever heard "Oh! By the way, don't tell mom we're engaged yet, okay? Cool!" she whispered, then ran to the door before anyone could answer.

"Hi, mom!" she greeted her mother excitedly after opening the door.

"Hi, baby" Dinah hugged her stepping inside the apartment "It's so good to see you"

"You too, mom" Sara smiled while her mother held her face in her hands, smiling but looking closely at her features to make sure her daughter was okay "Did you come alone?" the blonde asked, looking past her mother to check the hallway.

"Yes, David had a conference he couldn't miss. He sends his regards and apologies for missing dinner"

"How very polite of him" Sara smirked closing the door after her mother and leading her inside "Please, send him our regards, too"

"You could learn a thing or two from polite people instead of making fun of them, Sara"

The blonde rolled her eyes and went back to her previous spot, taking a sip from her beer bottle "I make fun of Nyssa because of that, pretty sure anyone else will get **at least** the same treatment"

Dinah frowned at the name of her daughter's girlfriend, but quickly covered it with a warm smile as soon as she spotted Laurel "Hi, honey"

Her eldest daughter jumped off the counter and moved to hug her, looking at Sara over her mother's shoulder, who was rolling her eyes again after noticing Dinah's frown "Hi mom, glad you could make it"

"Dinah" Tommy greeted her, extending his hand, after Laurel released her mother and went back to her spot.

The woman shook his hand with a smile and watched curiously as Sara moved to stand next to Nyssa, placing her hand on the woman's lower back.

She looked at her and gave her a short nod "Hello, Nyssa"

"Professor Lance" the brunette greeted her with a nod of her own "I'm glad you could attend tonight; hope you had a pleasant trip?"

"I did, Nyssa, thank you" Dinah answered, alternating her gaze between Sara and her girlfriend "And thank you for having me tonight. You have a gorgeous apartment"

"I can assure you that was all Sara. I had no idea this place existed until about ten days ago"

The woman smiled and took Sara's previous seat while Nyssa poured a glass of wine before handing it to her "Thank you" she took the glass and looked at her youngest "Do I want to know how you managed to get this place?"

"Nope!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought" she giggled softly and took a sip of wine "Great wine"

Laurel nodded in agreement while taking a sip, too "Yeah, Nyssa always finds the most amazing ones around the world"

"Go easy on the wine, Lance, I'm keeping an eye on you" the blonde warned her older sister, then asked offended "I can find good wine, too, you know?"

"I think you should stick to beer, that's your specialty; you don't wanna ruin that for us" Tommy said with a smirk and held his up, leaning closer to Sara so they could clink their bottles.

"Do you get to travel a lot, Nyssa?" Dinah asked politely. Whether she liked it or not, everything in Sara's body language indicated she was one hundred and ten percent on her girlfriend's side, and she had to admire that. If those two could sort things out after everything that happened between them, then she should at least give the very intriguing, very frightening woman a chance.

"Not as much as I used to" the brunette answered truthfully "But I did gather quite a nice collection over the years"

The older woman nodded "Why don't you get to travel anymore? Are you staying in Star City?"

"What's with the interrogation, mom?" Sara asked annoyed.

"Habibti" Nyssa said touching her arm "She is just making conversation"

"Yeah, don't get all defensive, it's a good thing" Laurel added and shrugged "She's trying"

"And I greatly appreciate that you are, Professor Lance" the brunette looked at Dinah and smiled a sad, apologetic smile "And regarding your previous questions, after my father's demise it is not required, nor expected of me to travel as much as I used to; so I am taking permanent residence in Star City with Sara"

"I'm sorry to hear about your father" the woman said honestly.

Nyssa gave her a short nod "Thank you"

"Was he the one in charge of the…" she paused, taking a few seconds to find the right way to voice her unusual question "...'kidnapping family business'?"

"Mom!" Sara yelled and Laurel snorted, trying not to laugh.

"Well, I don't know how else to ask, Sara!"

"Then how about you just **don't**?" she rolled her eyes "Seriously, mom? 'Kidnapping family business'?! Who even says that?!"

But to her surprise, Nyssa snorted trying to stifle her laughter, which made Laurel and Tommy laugh openly.

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Why do I even bother?" Sara groaned and rolled her eyes again.

"I apologize, beloved" Nyssa said smiling before kissing her forehead "Even you have to admit that was a most humorous way to address it" she rubbed Sara's back softly and looked at Dinah, who was trying very hard not to laugh "Yes, I believe you could say he was the head of the family business"

The woman nodded accepting her answer "Will you girls ever tell me what **that** was all about?"

"Why would you need to know now?" her youngest asked.

"Because, Sara, I find it hard to believe—even though I know everything was extremely real—that it **actually** happened" she sighed and shook her head "I'm at your beautiful home, seeing this well educated, respectful, caring and loving woman standing by your side and I cannot get my head around the fact that she's the same woman who kidnapped me a few years ago. So, yes, I need to understand, because I want to leave all of that behind and feel happy about the fact that you are **finally** in a serious, committed relationship; settling down with someone who obviously loves and respects you like you deserve. Holding a grudge this big is exhausting and I have better things to do with my time"

Sara closed her open mouth after a few seconds and looked at her girlfriend "Well, it's hard to argue with that"

"It really is" Nyssa nodded her agreement and sighed "Would it be enough for the moment if I promised to tell you everything some other time?"

Dinah looked at her, gathering her options "Will you keep that promise?"

"After your daughter, my word is what I value the most"

The woman sighed and nodded "Okay, but I won't forget"

Laurel decided to break the tension and looked at Tommy "What else did she miss from that list? Well educated, respectful, caring and loving…" she paused smiling "...classy"

"Smart" he added after thinking, then smiled at her.

"Hot" Laurel said winking at Nyssa.

"Hey!" Sara glared at her sister "I'm the only one allowed to think she's hot"

"Yeah, good luck with that, sis"

"Linguist?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, she's a linguist alright" the youngest Lance smirked, getting elbowed hard "Ow! That hurt, Nyssa! I have a bruise there, remember?"

"Gross, Sara"

The blonde turned to focus on her sister again, one hand rubbing her sore ribs "I feel sorry for you if you think that's gross, sis"

"I don't! That's not what I meant" she looked at her husband and repeated "That's not what I meant"

"Then what did you mean?" Sara asked, teasing her even more.

"You know what I meant"

"I really don't" the blonde smirked defiantly "I had more respect for Mr. Merlyn. Have to say, I'm disappointed. Thought the beard had something to do with that, even tho I find it highly unsanitary if it does" she chucked and looked at her sister again "No wonder you're always so cranky"

"What's that supposed to mean?" her older sister asked glaring at her.

"Tommy, if you need classes, Nyssa excels at that"

"Sara!" her fiancée gasped, blushing furiously.

"What? It's true!"

"Mom doesn't need to hear about your sex life, you know?"

"Please, leave me out of this, Laurel" Dinah said laughing at their exchange and took another sip of wine.

"Dude, I'm talking about linguistics. Nyssa is fluent in nine languages and fairly competent in a few more. I have no idea what **you** are talking about…" she smirked again and winked at her sister "...perv"


	9. One on One With the Mayor

**Chapter 09: One on One With the Mayor**

Nyssa took the bottle of water Laurel was offering her and drank from it. She grabbed the towel hanging from the treadmill and used it to wipe her face "I do not believe that is such a good idea, Laurel"

"Why not?" Laurel asked while using her forearm to wipe her furrowed brow "We both know this thing can't go on forever, and Felicity agrees"

The brunette sat on the floor and started stretching "While I do agree and find it inconvenient, to say the least, I'm positive that it is not the best approach"

"Well, what do you suggest, then? 'Cause we are out of ideas"

"Both your sister and Mr. Queen are propense to react violently under pressure…" she sighed and looked up "...mostly your sister"

Laurel snort-laughed and sat down to stretch, too "Well, worst case scenario, Oliver gets his nose broken. It's a win-win. He can afford someone taking him down a peg or two" she paused smiling "Or five, in Sara's case"

Nyssa smirked but tried to hide it "I don't know, Laurel. I have to leave the city in a couple of days, and I do not wish to do so if Sara is mad at me"

"She won't be mad at you"

"That is not true, and you know it"

"Well, you can deny you knew about our plan" when Nyssa looked at her incredulously, Laurel rolled her eyes "Okay, fine, you can't do that; but we just can't let this go on forever. If she gets mad, just wear something sexy that night and she'll forget about it"

The brunette groaned and leaned back on the mat "Why can't your sister be civil?"

"I would like to say it's all the League training and pin it on you…" the other woman said smirking "...but, to be honest, it's probably her Lance DNA"

They both laughed and Nyssa tilted her head to look at the other woman "Do it"

"You sure?"

"You do not want me to overthink this"

"True" Laure smiled "Tonight?"

"Whenever you deem appropriate"

"Tonight it is"

The brunette sighed and nodded shortly in agreement before saying "We shall discuss a regular training schedule, Laurel. Your form is off. We need to work on that"

* * *

"I swear to God I will kill all of you!" Sara yelled banging on the door "I will torture you for days and kill your families in front of you before I kill you all!"

"You are my family, dumbass!" Laurel yelled from the other side of the door.

"Oh… Right. Well, scratch that part, but I'll still kill all of you! Open the fucking door!"

"No!" Felicity yelled back "Stop acting like children and talk!"

"I'll jump out the window!"

"It is a fourteen story drop, beloved; unless you suddenly grow wings like Ms. Saunders, I don't see the fall ending happily for you"

"Nyssa, open the door!"

"Grow up, Sara!" Laurel yelled again.

The blonde kicked the door one last time for good measure and turned around "What the fuck are you doing?" she asked, glaring at Oliver, who was sitting down on the mats looking up at her.

He shrugged "There's only one door to bang and kick, and apparently you have dibs. I'm waiting for my turn"

"If you get tired of waiting, you can go ahead and jump out the window"

"Sara, is it really so tragic?"

"Yes. I don't wanna stare at your stupid face for hours"

"It doesn't need to be hours" Felicity said from the other side of the door "You can fight and try to kill each other until both of you can't take it anymore, or you can kiss and make up and be out of there in ten minutes. But don't kiss, tho, 'cause I won't hesitate on kissing Nyssa if you do that, Sara!"

The other blonde snorted "Like I wanna kiss this jerk"

The speaker on the wall came to life with a loud rustling noise before they heard Thea's voice loud and clear "Just get it over with! It's exhausting being around you two, so you better fix it. You're not leaving until you do; we all agreed on that!"

"Why didn't I think of doing that?" they heard Felicity ask someone behind the door.

Both Oliver and Sara kept quiet for a few minutes after hearing various sets of loud footsteps moving away from the door. The man sighed loudly and looked up at her again "Sara"

She groaned and leaned back against the door, her arms folded across her chest "This sucks"

He smiled and nodded "I know, but they care about both of us, that's why they're doing this"

"Whatever" she looked at the speaker and frowned "Who installed that? You think they can hear everything we say?"

"No" came the answer in Felicity's voice from the speaker "Crap!"

"And now you've ruined it!" Thea said from somewhere on the other side.

"We'll give you guys some privacy" the hacker said "Remember we have surveillance cameras there, too, so if you start killing each other, I'll send Nyssa and Dig to kick some ass"

Sara looked at one of the the cameras in the corner and flipped her off with a sweet smile.

"Well, that was rude"

Oliver smiled and shook his head, and after they heard the rustling noise again he asked "You wanna sit?"

"No, thanks"

"Sara, please"

The blonde woman groaned and sat down with her back against the door, her hand rubbing her forehead "What do you want from me, Oliver?"

"Honestly? I miss you"

"Well, then you shouldn't have married my girlfriend while I was dead" she said coldly, glaring at him "What the hell were you thinking?!"

He sighed again and closed his eyes "I'm sorry, okay?"

"You betrayed and disrespected me and my memory, and all you have to say is 'I'm sorry, okay'?" she asked in disbelief, mimicking his voice at the end "I trusted you, Oliver. The fuck is wrong with you?" she glared at him some more "You took advantage of the woman I love; I can **never** forgive that"

"I didn't take advantage of her! You can ask, I never touched her!" he said alarmed.

"Not sexually, but you did emotionally" she narrowed her eyes "She was grieving and you didn't care. You just used her as a pawn in your little plan against Ra's; her **father**. She was disposable to you. Fuck, Oliver, you didn't even call her to let her know I had died. How screwed up is that?"

"I already apologized to Nyssa for that, we didn't think—"

"That's the thing, you don't think! You didn't know anything about us, but you still decided she wasn't important enough to let her know. Did you know we were back together up until I died?"

He lowered his gaze "No"

"Did you know she practically begged me not to come 'cause she thought it would be the last time she ever saw me?"

"No"

"Of course not, because you just assume things and decide what's best for everyone without asking them what they want. I'm done. I won't put up with your shit anymore" she sighed and looked away "I don't know if I can forgive you, Oliver"

"I'm sorry"

Sara looked back at him and could see he truly was "I know you are, but it doesn't change anything for me"

"I want to fix this, Sara"

"I don't know if there's anything to fix anymore"

Oliver looked up at her again "After you left with Ray and the rest, I got to talk to Nyssa, you know?" when she just stared at him in silence, he decided to continue "And I did apologize, for everything. I know I was—"

"A dick"

He smiled softly and nodded "Yes, a dick. And I knew I owed her an apology"

"You owe her so much more than that"

"I know" he sighed again "I've made mistakes, Sara. A lot of mistakes; ask around, Dig will be happy to tell you. But I'm trying to be better; do better. I never meant to hurt you, or her, for that matter. It seemed like the only viable option at the time"

"You should have let her in on your stupid plan" Sara said calmly after a few silent minutes "She would've helped you"

"And I know that now, because she told me so. She and I are mostly good now… or at least I think she tolerates me" he smiled at the thought "We talked and came to a mutual understanding. Why can't you and I try that too?"

"Because I don't trust you anymore, Oliver"

"Okay, how can I change that?"

"I don't think you can" Sara sighed and looked away "You are not the only one who has a hard time trusting people, you know?"

"I know, but it's me, Sara" he waited for her to look at him again "We've known each other our whole lives"

She snorted and rolled her eyes "Like that stopped us from screwing up before"

"Good point" Oliver said frowning "Look, I don't expect you to forgive me"

"Good, 'cause I won't"

"I know; and I will have to live with that"

"What do you want, then?" Sara crossed her legs and stared at him "I can't magically forget everything you did"

"I'm not asking you to"

"Then what?"

"One chance, that's all I'm asking for; a chance to try to gain your trust again"

She looked at him in silence for a minute, then sighed defeated and tired of fighting "I can't believe you actually married her"

"Not my finest moment" he said half smiling and managed to get a small smile from her, too "For what is worth, she tried to kill me during our wedding"

"That's my girl"

Oliver laughed and nodded "She really is, Sara"

"I know…" she looked at him in the eye "...that's why I'm marrying her"

The annoying rustling noise came back, followed by Felicity's voice "What?! Why am I hearing about this over a speaker?!"

"You weren't supposed to be listening!"

"Pft! Please, you knew that was a lie" the hacker said again "Are you guys done? I wanna go in and squeal and jump around all excited and stuff!"

"Yeah, I want that, too!" Thea added after "Wait, Laurel, you're not surprised. You knew and didn't tell us!"

"Well, duh, I'm her sister"

"This is so unfair! Nyssa, I'm supposed to be your favorite!"

Their argument trailed off in the background until they heard the rustling noise again. Oliver smiled and looked at Sara "Congratulations"

"Thank you"

"Are we good?"

"Dunno, but I promise not to hit you anymore" Sara said smirking "As for the rest… I just need time"

"I understand"

She nodded once, then yelped as she was suddenly thrown away when the door opened, Felicity and Thea running inside and looking around for her "Where's Sara?!"

"Um, hi" the woman said from behind the door.

Felicity frowned and looked down at her "What are you doing there?"

"You pushed me!"

"Oh…" she winced "...sorry"

Nyssa came walking into the room followed by Laurel and smiled. She held her hand out for the blonde, who took it and let fiancée pull her up "Are you alright?"

Sara wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her softly "I am now"

"Stop the private cuddle fest, Thea and I want in!"


	10. Gotham, Part 1

**Chapter 10: Gotham, Part 1**

"Excuse me"

"Where are you going? We are in the middle of something here, Nyssa"

"And I will be back shortly, but I need to take care of something first"

"Your priorities still leave much to be desired"

Nyssa looked out the glass door to the bored looking boy sitting outside the office "I could say the same about yours, sister" she grabbed her purse and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

The boy jumped off the couch excitedly "Khala!" he was about to run to her, but remembered all the times his mother berated him for doing so, choosing instead to stand there, fidgeting nervously.

The woman smiled and opened her arms "Come here, Damian!"

He sprinted faster than any ten year old normally could, and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. Nyssa chuckled and hugged him back, kissing the top of his head before running her fingers through his messy black hair "How is my favorite nephew?"

The boy pulled away enough to be able to look up at her, giggling "I'm your only nephew!" he said in perfect arabic.

Nyssa smiled proudly and carried the conversation in the same language, the way she always does around her sister and nephew "Which makes you my favorite" both of them laughed as they pulled away from each other.

"Is Ta-er al-Asfer here, too?" he asked looking past her into his mother's office.

"No. And remember, Damian, her name is Sara" his aunt answered in English when she noticed Talia's assistant come back to her desk. It was a sign of respect she adopted a long time ago while in the presence of locals.

He nodded "Yes, I'm sorry"

"You do not need to apologize" she smiled warmly, making him smile, too "She wanted to be here to meet you, but her mother was visiting Star City, so she wasn't able to travel with me"

"I understand"

"However…" she paused and reached for something inside her purse "...she sent you this"

Damian smiled excited, reaching for the baseball cap his aunt was holding "Cool! Thanks!"

Nyssa chuckled at his expression "She promised to take you to a Rockets game, too"

"Really?" he looked up, his eyes filled with hope "It's summer break; can I go to Star City with you?"

The woman knelt down in front of him, adjusting the baseball cap, and spoke in a low voice "I will try to convince your mother to let you come with me. In the meantime, if you could stay out of trouble for the next forty-eight hours, that would help our case"

He blushed and looked down at his feet "I will do my best, khala"

"Thank you, Damian" she smiled and poked his ribs "Now go sit down and behave for a while longer, I have to make a phone call"

They boy nodded smiling and carefully turned around, walking calmly back to the couch and sitting down.

Nyssa took her phone out of the inside pocket of her jacket and looked at the screen, half smiling, half frowning when it read:

 **Sara** 4min ago  
 **iMessage (12)**

She took a few steps away from the couch, putting some distance between herself and her nephew, while dialing Sara's number and waiting for the other woman to pick up.

" _Did you see him yet? Did you give him my present? Did he like it? Is he excited? Did you talk to Talia about him spending a few days here with us?"_

"Don't you need to breathe?" she could clearly hear the snort on the other side of the line.

" _You know for a_ _ **fact**_ _I can hold my breath for a surprisingly long time"_

Nyssa cleared her throat trying not to blush "He is close by, so I cannot respond to that properly"

" _Well, you can always call me from the hotel later and tell me what you're thinking"_

"Sara, please?" she heard the other woman chuckle "He loved your present, beloved, thank you"

" _Good! Is he wearing it?"_

"Yes"

" _Well, text me a picture! I wanna see it! Is he coming with you?"_

"I still need to talk to Talia about that"

" _What are you waiting for?"_

"I had to step out of her office because I kept feeling my phone going off. Twelve text messages, habibti?" she paused, smiling and winking at Damian when the boy looked up at her "Are you hurt or dying?"

" _No. I'm just excited! And a little bored, to be honest"_

"Do you think you could entertain yourself for a few hours while I am busy here working?" and there it was, the same snort followed by a giggle "Sara"

" _What?!"_

"Don't"

" _Don't what?"_

"Do not say what you are thinking"

" _Fine! We can discuss that later when you're alone. Oh! Wait! I've got an idea, is Damian still there?"_

Nyssa looked at the very bored looking boy "Yes"

" _Ok, cool!"_

She moved the phone away from her ear when she heard the sound of the line going dead, and frowned confused, nearly jumping a second later when it started ringing again. She slid her thumb across the screen, holding the phone in front of her when Sara's face came into view.

" _Hi, hottie"_

The brunette rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile "Was this your idea? FaceTime?"

Sara grinned " _Yeah! Get Damian with you!"_

Nyssa laughed and walked to the couch, sitting next to her nephew, who looked at her with a confused frown on his face "Damian, this is Sara" she said, holding the phone in front of both of them now "Sara, this is Damian, my nephew"

" _Hi Damian"_ Sara said smiling " _Dig the hat"_

The boy giggled and readjusted it "Thanks! Hi Sara, nice to meet you"

" _Nice to meet you, too, buddy. I've heard a lot about you"_

"Yeah?" he asked, glancing up at Nyssa, who smiled and nodded.

" _Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't be there today"_

"It's okay, khala told me your mom was in Star City. You should be with her, family is very important"

The blonde grinned " _Yes, it is. But I'm your khala's beloved, Damian, that makes_ _ **us**_ _family, too"_

"Yes, but my mom said there's no League anymore, thanks to khala" he paused glancing at the woman sitting next to him "So those rules don't apply"

" _Is that what your mother said?"_ she waited for him to nod and smiled " _Well, in that case, I guess khala and I will have to get married, huh?"_

Nyssa chuckled and ran her fingers through Damian's hair again "Will you be alright here talking to Sara? Your mother is glaring at me, I should go back"

" _Go, babe, Damian and I are cool. Right, buddy?"_

"Yeah!" he smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Alright" she stood up and kissed the top of the boy's head before looking at the phone "I will call you tonight, beloved"

" _You better; we still have to discuss that thing I mentioned before; that thing we haven't discussed in_ _ **five days**_ _? Not that I'm counting..."_

Nyssa blushed and groaned, shaking her head and walking back to her sister's office without saying another word, afraid her voice would betray her in front of her nephew.

"What is that ridiculous hat you gave my son?" Talia asked, never lifting her gaze from the papers in front of her.

Her younger sister sat back down across her desk smirking "A gift from Sara"

Talia looked up at her with one eyebrow raised "How is Ta-er al-Asfer nowadays?" she smirked at her sister's eyeroll and looked back at some other papers "I believe she told you we met before?"

"She did. I found it..." Nyssa grabbed a pen from her sister's desk and started signing the pile of documents still waiting for her "...amusing, to be quite honest"

"Amusing?"

"Of course" she tried not to let her smirk show "If I am not mistaken, there was 'much you could learn from her', Talia" she saw from the corner of her eye her sister's head snap back up, and could feel her stare burning through her. To say she was enjoying this, would be a massive understatement "Which is interesting, considering **I** was the one responsible for **her** training" she looked up at the other woman "So, apparently, that makes me partly responsible for **your** training, as well"

Talia narrowed her eyes, glaring at her "Don't forget **I** was partly responsible for **your** training, sister"

"Mh…" Nyssa contemplated smiling "...so, what you are implying is that, basically, I'm the one responsible for training all **three** of us? It would make sense, I am a most excellent trainer, after all"

Talia rolled her eyes with a groan "Just sign those documents, Nyssa. I do not wish to prolong this conversation more than necessary"

There was a soft, almost timid knock on the door, and both sisters looked up to see Damian standing on the other side "Come in, Damian"

The boy opened the door, bowing his head respectfully, silently thanking his mother for letting him in. He then handed the phone back to Nyssa, who took it with a smile, and folded his hands behind his back; his stance resembling one that Nyssa had seen others, and even adopted herself, when in front of her father "Auntie Sara said you should call her as soon as you are back at your hotel, khala"

"Excuse me, 'auntie Sara'?" Talia asked raising one eyebrow, looking from her son to her sister.

The boy looked at her and bowed his head again "She said I should call her that, since she and khala will be getting married"

His mother opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She tried again, with the same result, and that second time made her younger sister laugh "Do you have a problem with Damian addressing my fiancée in such manner, Talia?"

The woman narrowed her eyes again, but sighed and shook her head after a few moments "No, I do not. I believe congratulations are in order, then"

"Thank you"

There was a hint of a smile on Talia's lips, but Nyssa wouldn't dare to comment on that just yet. Instead she went back to the last documents that needed to be signed.

"Dinner tonight?" her older sister asked "On me, of course; to celebrate your engagement. Just the three of us"

"I would enjoy that very much, thank you"

Damian smiled, excited at the idea of having dinner with just the two of them, and leaned closer to his aunt whispering "Khala, did you ask her?"

"Ask me what?" his mother asked looking up and closing the binder she was holding.

Nyssa looked at him and roller her eyes "You know…" she said still looking at the boy "...if Sara was here she would say something close to 'seriously, dude?'" she said in her best american accent and sighed "No, I did not have the chance to ask her, Damian"

"Again, ask me what?"

The boy nodded encouragingly, and Nyssa sighed again "Do you believe it is possible for Damian to spend a few days with us in Star City?"

"No"

"Why not?!" the boy blurted out and immediately regretted it when his mother glared at him.

"Excuse me?"

He looked at the floor and swallowed hard, resuming his previous stance "I apologize, mother"

"Damian, do you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?" Nyssa asked the boy, who looked at his mother for instructions.

"Leave us" she said, and he walked out bowing his head again.

"I am fully aware you are his mother, and I do not wish to intrude. But may I ask what the reasons behind your decision are?" her younger sister asked calmly once the boy was sitting on the couch out of earshot.

"I do not look forward to have my son running around Star City with poorly trained, weak men wearing ridiculous hoods" she said sternly "He is League trained, and I am familiar with the way your 'friends' feel about the League"

Nyssa took a deep, calming breath "I do not 'run around with men wearing hoods', if you must know; there is no reason to assume I would expose Damian to that. Sara and I are League trained, in case you forgot. And I trained Laurel Lance and Thea Queen myself"

"Isn't that the usurper's daughter?"

"Are you implying she should be judged by her father's actions?"

"Not at all, I was merely curious"

Nyssa smirked, knowing her sister too well to actually believe she was 'merely curious' "I hope you know that regardless our…" she paused looking for the right word "...differences, I love Damian dearly and, both Sara and I, would do anything to protect him from harm"

Talia looked down at her hands, deep in thought. After a moment she looked back up into her sister's eyes "I do wish to put our differences aside for good, if I am being entirely honest" she smiled at her sister's surprised expression "Don't give me that look, Nyssa, I never wished you harm. Regardless our youthful discrepancies, I would like to believe we can be civil with each other now as grown women. We are family, after all"

"We are" the other woman agreed with a nod "I'm glad to hear you see it that way, too"

"And, despite my previous…" Talia smirked, amused with herself "...childish attitude toward her, I do like Sara. She is a most excellent warrior, and anyone can see how much she loves you"

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter. If interested, PM for details.


	11. Gotham, Part 2

Huge thanks to **everyone** who has been reading and reviewing.  
You guys are the best!

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Gotham, Part 2**

Nyssa woke up to the sound of her alarm going off right next to her ear. She groaned and rolled onto her side, blindingly patting the bed with her hand to find her phone. She huffed and opened her eyes after a few unsuccessful attempts, turning off the irritating alarm as soon as she found it.

There were a few notifications on the lock screen, so she rolled onto her back, phone in hand, to go through them. She quickly responded to her sister's 'extremely urgent' texts, letting her know she would be at her house as soon as she was ready, then opened another one, this one from Sara.

The brunette chuckled and shook her head after reading it, getting more comfortable to text her back. Sara's response came almost immediately, making her laugh again as she left the device resting on her leg.

She frowned a minute later when she felt the phone aggressively vibrating against her thigh, but smiled when Sara's picture popped up on the screen.

"Good…" she paused looking at the time "...well, I believe it is technically morning for you, too, habibti"

" _Morning, gorgeous. How'd you sleep?"_

"Good enough, considering you are not by my side. Did you sleep at all? What are you doing fully awake at 4 a.m.?"

" _Well, I tried to make it up to you for my absence last night"_ the blonde answered laughing " _And no, I didn't go to bed yet, Arrow stuff came up; just got home"_

"Is everything alright?"

" _Yeah, just some kids being little punks. Thea and I handled it in like fifteen minutes"_

"Then why did it take you so long to get home?"

" _There was a weird Pokémon at the docks, that took a while and most of my Poké balls, but we caught it"_

Nyssa laughed at Sara's explanation "You stayed up until 4 a.m. to catch a Pokémon?"

" _A_ _ **weird**_ _Pokémon, Nyssa! We had to!"_

The brunette chuckled and shook her head "You are lucky I am so in love with you, Sara"

" _Aw, I love you, too, baby"_

"It is a strange change of scenery hearing you in such good spirits when you haven't had any sleep yet. Is it because you and Thea had fun at the docks?"

" _Nope! I have my reasons"_

Nyssa laughed wholeheartedly "I am fully aware of those reasons, beloved"

" _Can you blame me? It's been a while since we did that, babe_ " Sara said between giggles " _Can't even remember when the last time was"_

"If I am not mistaken, it was after the Moscow incident"

" _Oh, yeah! Goodtimes"_

"You angered the Bratva, beloved, I do not believe that qualifies as a 'good time'"

" _They started it"_

"I highly doubt that"

" _It honestly was Anatoli's fault"_

"You were not supposed to be there in the first place"

" _Anyways! We had_ _ **great**_ _phone sex that night. That qualifies as an awesome time in my book"_

Nyssa laughed "We did"

" _Last night was a close second"_

"I will have to agree on that, too"

" _Wanna go again?"_

"As much as I would love to after that picture you texted me before, it is past 7 a.m. here and I have to get up and ready for the day, habibti"

" _It can be embarrassingly fast, I swear!"_

The brunette had to laugh again "While I am aware that is absolutely true, I do need to get up"

" _Aw, c'moooon! You sound all sleepy and sexy, it's making me think stuff"_

"I will be home tonight, habibti, don't you prefer it that way?"

" _Always; but then Damian will be here, too, and we won't be able to do anything"_

"You were the one who **insisted** on him visiting"

" _I'm obviously having second thoughts"_

The brunette smiled and said in a low, soft voice she knew the blonde loved and wouldn't be able to fight "Sara, I promise you we will find the time"

" _God… Argh! Fine!"_

"Thank you"

" _Doesn't mean I'm happy about this"_

"Oh, I know"

" _Okay, good. Now I'm gonna try to get some sleep, then go run a few miles and punch, kick or stab something for a while"_

"Sweet dreams and have fun"

" _Say hi to Talia for me"_

"I will"

" _Don't let Damian nap! I'll need him to crash early tonight"_

* * *

"Please, come in" Taila said holding the door open.

"Thank you" her sister nodded, walking past her into the mansion-like house "Sara sends her regards"

"Ah, thank you; please, extend mine to her. Do you mind waiting for a few minutes? Damian only finished with his morning training a short while ago and is now in the shower"

"Not at all"

Talia started walking down a big corridor, the sound of her heels against the stone floor echoing loudly. Nyssa followed her, knowing her sister well enough to realize she was supposed to do exactly that without being told. They entered a spacious office, and Talia sat down, occupying a massive armchair, inviting her sister to do the same.

Nyssa sat down in front of her "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no" her sister answered shaking her head "However, there is something I need to discuss with you"

"Talia, if this is regarding Damian visiting—"

The older woman interrupted her holding her left hand up and smiling "This is not about Damian at all"

Nyssa nodded once "Alright, then; what is it that you wish to discuss with me?"

Talia reached for a pair of black rimmed glasses that were lying on top of a folder on the coffee table between them and put them on. She opened the folder, searching for a specific page, then handed it to her sister "We have some decisions to make, Nyssa"

She took the folder and started reading the signaled page "I see"

Talia crossed her long legs and leaned back, resting comfortably against the armchair "I believe it is time we go back and decide what to do"

Nyssa considered her sister's words while turning the page "As you wish"

"I would like to hear what your thoughts are"

She closed the folder and placed it on the coffee table again "Honestly, Talia, I wouldn't feel comfortable making profit from it"

"I understand" her sister nodded "But you have to agree, sister, that Nanda Parbat is too valuable and dangerous for us to leave abandoned"

"I do"

"And no one knows it better than you do" Talia added with a smirk, making her younger sister smile "So, I was thinking we should visit to make sure everything is still in order, and decide what to do. Together"

Nyssa nodded shortly "When?"

"I cleared my agenda as much as I could. I can fly to Star City by the end of next week and we can go from there, should you find it convenient. Your little bird should come, too"

Her sister smiled softly "What about Damian?"

"He is to accompany us; even if it turns out to be for the last time"

"Is that what you wish? For it to be the last time?"

Talia sighed and took a few seconds to answer "We never had the luxury of allowing ourselves to be emotional, Nyssa. Not until recently. I am still learning how to feel and deal with some of those emotions" she said uncharacteristically honest and sad "Needless to say, I hold a great deal of affection for the place after growing up there, as I am positive you do, too; but I do not see its use or place in our lives anymore. I am afraid I even started to resent it lately. Don't you agree?"

"If I am entirely honest with you, Talia, I stopped thinking of Nanda Parbat as 'home' after Merlyn's undertaking"

Her older sister nodded seriously "When Sara left" she waited for the other woman to nod and smiled "And that is because Sara is, and always will be, 'home' for you. Just as Damian is, and always will be, it for me"

Her quiet confession caught Nyssa by surprise and she couldn't hide her stunned expression.

"I know it might be shocking coming from me, but I do love my child, Nyssa" she explained with a shy smile.

"Believe me, sister, I am fully aware of that" the youngest said smiling, too "What surprised me was the fact that you put it in words, and in front of me, no less"

"I am trying this new 'honesty' thing. Thought it would be safe to start with my baby sister" Talia said smirking.

Nyssa chuckled "I feel honored. But 'baby sister'? I do not recall you ever addressing me that way"

"Not to your face"

Her response made Nyssa chuckle again, inciting a soft, easy smile from her older sister "Should I ask, or…?"

"I'd rather you didn't" she shook her head, still smiling softly "There are things… People... I still find quite difficult to talk about"

Nyssa caught the flash of sadness and nodded softly "Of course. Whenever you wish to talk about them, your 'baby sister' will be there to listen"

Talia nodded and cleared her throat "This conversation is starting to get annoyingly emotional and I do not feel entirely comfortable in such vulnerable position at the moment"

"Let's go back to business, then, Ms. Tate"

* * *

"Is there something wrong?" Nyssa asked, noticing Damian's worried expression.

The boy looked back at the woman sitting in front of him and readjusted his seatbelt "Is my mom gonna be okay while I'm with you and auntie Sara?"

"Do you have reason to believe she will not?"

He shrugged and looked out the window, staring at the clouds "Dunno, she'll be all alone"

Nyssa smiled sweetly and leaned forward to run her fingers through his messy hair, trying to make it less messy "She will be alright, Damian, I promise. Your mother is one of the most skilled, strongest women I know. And I can guarantee you, she will not be 'all alone'"

"Yeah, she's pretty strong" he took a few seconds to gather his thoughts "Did you talk to her this morning, khala?"

"I did"

"Will she get mad at me if…"

Nyssa waited as the boy searched his brain for a way to express his concerns, finally deciding to help him "If you have fun?"

"Yeah"

She shook her head smiling "She wants you to have fun, Damian. Her only request was that we continue with your training. Other than that, we are free to decide what to do, together"

He nodded smiling before asking "I can talk to auntie Sara the same way I talk to you, right? Like this?"

"Yes, Damian" Nyssa said laughing "Even more so"

"Cool!"

"Will you be able to relax and have fun now? Or do you have any more concerns you wish to discuss?"

"No, I'm fine, khala. Thanks!" he said smiling and reaching for his backpack.

After rummaging through it for about a minute, he took out some kind of electronic device Nyssa was not particularly familiar with, but have seen Sara use on numerous occasions; mostly while traveling, too.

"Khala, do you think we'll get to see the Green Arrow?" he asked excitedly, startling her.

She glanced at him for a second before going back to her reading "I hope we don't"

Damian paused his game and looked up at his aunt again "Do you know him?"

"No"

"What about the Black Canary?"

"There is no Black Canary"

"Not anymore, but there was" he leaned closer and whispered, even though they were alone "I know the first Canary was auntie Sara"

"Then you also know you should keep that information to yourself" Nyssa answered smiling.

"Yes, of course!" he looked back down and resumed his game "What about Speedy? Arsenal?"

The woman tried to hide her smile "Damian, just because we live in the same city, doesn't mean we know one another"

The boy shrugged while aggressively pressing some buttons "My mom says you could kick all of their butts if you wanted to, anyway"

"Does she?" Nyssa asked amused, resting her book on her lap.

"Well, she didn't use the word 'butts', but yeah" he said, shrugging again "I think so, too"

"Please, remember to mention that to Sara"

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter. If interested, PM for details.


	12. Stop Holding Back

**Chapter 12: Stop. Holding. Back.**

"I was under the impression that you would be waiting at home"

"Is that a complaint I'm hearing?"

Nyssa grinned and leaned slightly down to kiss the other woman on the lips, letting it linger for a few seconds "Not at all"

The very loud and inappropriate calls startled them seconds before they heard Damian's backpack hit the floor. Sara quickly pulled away from the kiss, reaching to her left without even looking at what she was doing, and getting a hold of Damian's shoulder before the boy could resume what he was about to do.

She looked at Nyssa half smiling "He's your nephew alright"

The brunette chuckled and turned to her right to look at her nephew, who was discretely trying to find a way to break free from Sara's grip "Damian" she called calmly, ignoring the smirking men that kept staring at them.

He turned around to face her "Yes?"

She raised one eyebrow and half smiled, obviously amused "Do not engage" she instructed in Arabic.

"They are disrespecting you and aunt Sara, khala" he explained, carrying the conversation in Arabic, his small fists clenching tightly "I cannot allow it"

Sara bit her lips, trying not to grin and look too proud of the boy's reaction. She let go of his shoulder and took a step back, letting Nyssa handle the situation.

"They are not worth it, Damian"

"That behavior cannot be tolerated, khala"

"Holy shit, he even speaks just like you!" the blonde said laughing.

"Sara!" Nyssa hissed, turning her head slightly in Sara's direction.

"Sorry, sorry!"

The brunette got down on one knee and placed a hand on Damian's shoulder "Men like that are not worth your time" she said looking into his eyes.

"No man should use that language, let alone addressing a woman" he said frowning, folding his hands behind his back, adopting a serious stance "I once was Warith al Ghul, I shall not let them walk unpunished. They are a disgrace for my gender"

"Respect, kid" Sara said, winking at him when the boy looked up at her.

"Just so you know…" one of the twenty-something year old guys that were shouting before started, coming to stand next to Damian "…if you, babes, are looking for a daddy for your next one, I volunteer. We can start practicing tonight after you put the kid to bed"

Nyssa looked up at him frowning.

Sara rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple.

Damian's jaw clenched.

Before any of the boy's aunts could react, the man was lying on the floor, groaning in pain and grabbing his knee.

Both women looked at Damian in surprise, and the blonde walked closer to him when she noticed they were drawing too much attention to themselves "We need to move" she said picking up Damian's backpack and duffle bag, then looking at Nyssa and gently pulling her up "Now"

The brunette nodded and kept her hand on Damian's shoulder, grabbing her luggage and following Sara to the nearest exit.

Once outside the main building, Sara slowed down so they would catch up with her, and Nyssa positioned Damian between the two of them as they kept walking to the car.

The blonde nudged the boy and looked down at him smiling "That was pretty badass"

"Do not encourage that kind of behavior, beloved" Nyssa said before the boy could respond, then continued "Damian, I appreciate you attempt to defend our honor, but you should have let **us** handle the situation"

They got to the car, and Nyssa stood looking at the boy while her fiancée loaded the trunk with their bags. He bowed his head and folded his hands behind his back "I apologize, khala. I wasn't able to control my temper before such narrow mindedness and disrespect"

The brunette nodded once and ran her fingers through his hair "I know how hard it is to do so, I do not judge you"

"Thank you"

"Hey, at least the guy is still alive. It could've been way worse. He is Talia's son, after all" Sara said shrugging and winking at Damian "Just stay outta trouble, kid, you mom will dismember us if anything happens to you"

"I will" he assured her, smiling.

The blonde smiled and handed the car keys to her fiancée, who took them with a short nod and a smile, before walking around the car to get in the driver's seat. Sara then opened the back door, nodding for Damian to climb in, and closing it after the boy.

"Seatbelts" Nyssa said, pushing the button to start the car, and the other two complied.

After a few minutes, Sara turned around as much as her seatbelt allowed her to and looked at Damian "Nice to meet you, by the way. **Great** first impression, kid" she held her fist in the air in front of him, and he fistbumped her, giggling.

"Nice to meet you, too, aunt Sara"

"How was your flight?"

The boy shrugged "It was alright"

"Your khala is not much of a talker, huh?"

He giggled and shook his head "But that's fine, 'cause neither am I"

Nyssa looked at him on the rearview mirror and smiled, getting a smile in return.

"Is that a 'League born' quality?"

"Maybe" he answered with a shrug "My mom is like that, too"

"Yeah, I say it is, then" Sara said nodding "Oh! Babe, don't take our exit" she exclaimed, pointing at the following exit "We're gonna stay at my dad's this week"

Nyssa frowned and glanced briefly at her "Why?"

"He's staying at Donna's"

"That does not answer my question"

"We don't have a spare bedroom" the blonde explained "This way Damian can have his own instead of the couch"

The brunette sighed, but didn't take their exit, as instructed "I refuse to sleep in your father's bed. I do not look forward to Captain Lance shooting me, and I believe there still is a strong possibility of that happening"

Sara chuckled and shook her head "He won't shoot you, babe. But, anyway, no. We'll stay in my old bedroom and D can take Laurel's. She's cool with it, I asked"

Nyssa pursed her lips and nodded once, then frowned "I do not have any clothes at your father's house"

"What do you think I've been doing all day?" she asked, looking at the brunette "Dad and Tommy helped, we took some of our stuff there already"

"Please tell me none of them packed my underwear" she said, eyebrow raised, glancing at Damian who seemed distracted looking out the window.

Sara laughed and placed her left hand on the brunette's thigh "No, I did all the actual packing myself"

"Thank you" Nyssa said relieved.

"You are very welcome" she smiled and kept her hand on Nyssa's thigh, rubbing it softly with her thumb.

The other woman glanced down at her lap, then at her fiancée, and finally back at the road "Keep in mind our nephew is in the car with us"

"I'm just being affectionate, don't make this awkward"

* * *

"Do not underestimate him, beloved"

Sara twirled her bō and rolled her eyes "He is like, what? 4' 3"? I'm only stating facts, babe. Don't worry, I'll go easy on him"

"You are barely over a foot taller"

"That's irrelevant"

"Precisely my point"

"I won't underestimate him, okay? I'm just saying, he's a kid"

"He is a trained assassin"

"So am I" she winked at the other woman and walked further into the backyard, where Damian was twirling his own bō staff, getting comfortable with its weight.

Nyssa smirked and sat down on the wooden steps, ready to supervise the boy's training.

"You ready, D?"

He nodded once, then assumed his fighting stance.

Sara smiled softly and moved to deliver the first blow, which Damian deflected perfectly. She went for two more, faster this time, and the boy easily blocked both, managing to switch into attack mode after.

After a few minutes, Nyssa stood up and took a few steps closer to them "You are both holding back. That is unacceptable"

The blonde tried to take advantage of the slight distraction, but Damian smirked as he ducked back just in time.

"Oh, yeah?" Sara asked, rushing the boy with a series of combined blows and sweeps, all of which he deflected or completely avoided.

He waited for the right moment and, taking advantage of her obvious surprise, swung his bō at Sara's feet. It connected before she could react, and she found herself lying on the damp grass.

"I warned you" Nyssa stated, her smirk evident in her voice.

"Shut up" Sara groaned frustrated, and as soon as Damian was within reach, she hooked his bō with her's and sent it flying close to where Nyssa was standing.

The blonde flipped herself back to her feet and started twirling her staff again "Want yours back?" she asked with a smirk.

Damian matched her smirk and shook his head "I don't need it"

"Huh" Sara shrugged "It's your funeral"

She swung again, Damian ducked back. Sweeped at his feet, he jumped over it. She tried a fake blow to his left side, then went for his right when he moved to block it. He, somehow, managed to grab the end of her staff before it hit him and, with a slight twist of his arm, shoved the other end to her ribs.

"Stop holding back, Sara" Nyssa instructed again, almost growling.

"He's a kid! I don't wanna hurt him, Nyssa!" the blonde said, looking at her for a fraction of a second; enough to feel her bō escape her grip and lay several feet away from them.

"Stop. Holding. Back"

"Oh, it's on, little dude!" she said half smiling, glaring at the boy.

And she stopped holding back.

They went back and forth for several minutes in hand to hand combat, without weapons now. Damian was able to hold his own better and way longer than either woman expected, but found himself on his back eventually, with Sara's hand on his chest, pinning him down.

"That is enough" Nyssa instructed, picking up both discarded weapons.

Sara grinned down at the boy and held her hand down, pulling him up when he took a hold of it "You are awesome, D, you know that?"

He shrugged and blushed, reminding her of Nyssa, who often had the exact same reaction when receiving a compliment "Well, you are"

"Of course he is" the brunette said proudly "He is my nephew"

"Yeah, yeah" Sara smiled softly and patted the boy's back, walking him back to the house, followed by Nyssa.

"You kids done playing with your sticks?"

"Shit!" the blonde jumped, instinctively shoving Damian behind her "Dad!"

"What?" the man asked from the couch.

"Don't do that! If Nyssa came in first, you'd be at least bleeding already!"

Quentin looked at the brunette, who only shrugged in response, silently backing up Sara's theory "Well, I knocked and rang but you kids didn't hear, so I figured I'd let myself in"

"This is your home, Captain, you do not need to knock" Nyssa said smiling, moving closer to shake his hand "Thank you for your hospitality"

"Oh, but I do" he said wincing "I'm not looking forward to another Christmas surprise"

Nyssa had the decency to blush and look down, while Sara only smirked and held her chin up "I think it was more of a birthday surprise for me you just happened to interrupt"

Quentin glared at her in complete silence.

"Anyway" the blonde rolled her eyes and placed her hands on Damian's shoulders "Dad, this is Damian" then she looked down at the boy "Damian, this is my dad, Quentin"

"Captain Lance" Nyssa corrected.

The boy walked closer and extended his hand politely "Pleased to meet you, Captain Lance"

Quentin shook his hand and looked from the boy, to Sara, to finally Nyssa "Yeah, he is definitely related to you" he smiled amused and looked back at the kid "Nice to meet you, too, Damian"

The man looked up at his daughter while reaching inside his jacket pocket "So, you guys have plans for today?" he asked, holding up four pieces of paper that looked a lot like tickets to some kind of game.

"No way!" Sara exclaimed happily, reaching for the tickets.

Quentin smiled and pulled them out of her reach "Go get ready, kids, we leave in an hour"


	13. Damian's Side of the Story

**Chapter 13: Damian's Side of the Story**

Sara turned Damian's Rockets hat around so it was facing backwards and winked at him "Dig in, kid" she instructed, taking a bite of her own Big Belly burger.

He smiled and took a bite of his, along with Sin, who was humming, eyes closed, while chewing.

"You know, Damian…" Quentin started "...when Sara was your age, we used to do this all the time"

"Really?" the boy asked before slapping Sin's hand away from his fries. The girl was sitting across from him, next to Quentin.

The blonde laughed and shook her head at a grinning Sin, then looked to her left at the smirking boy "Yeah! Dad would take me to the game, then we would come here for burgers and milkshakes"

"Until she became a teenager and wanted nothing to with me anymore"

Damian frowned, looking at Sara with some disapproval "Why would you do that, auntie Sara? One should not disrespect their parents like that"

"Well, D…" Sara started, glancing at her father apologetically "...teenage girls are complicated. I'm sure you'll discover that soon enough. What matters is that I grew up and saw the error of my ways. Right daddy?"

Quentin half snorted and shook his head "Sure, baby, whatever you say"

"Don't take your father for granted, auntie, he is a good man" Damian said seriously, sounding way older than he actually was.

"I like you, kid" Captain Lance said with a wink. He looked at Sara asking "Not that it's a problem or nothin', but you guys are on an 'auntie' basis already? Didn't you just meet?"

The boy took a sip of his milkshake and said nonchalantly "Auntie Sara said I should call her that, since she and khala are getting married"

Sara winced as soon as she heard the last word and Quentin started coughing. Sin patted his back until the man was able to speak "Married?!"

"Um, surprise…?"

"You're getting married?!"

"Little bit"

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"First of all, indoors voice, dad!" she said looking around, noticing the stares they were starting to get "But, yes, we are getting married. We were waiting to tell you and mom together"

"So the kid knew before your mother and I?!"

"It came up"

"We speak almost every day. It didn't come up with me!" he sighed and rubbed his forehead, knowing from painful experience this was not the best course of action with his daughters; especially his youngest "I would have expected Nyssa to at least ask for my approval. She seems like a reasonable enough woman nowadays"

The blonde looked at her father with one eyebrow raised "I love you, daddy, but I need to make this perfectly clear: I'm **not** your property" Quentin winced, but nodded in agreement; after all, he raised two very strong women "And I never said she was the one who proposed"

"Oh…" he said frowning "...I guess you're right. I'm sorry, being a father of two girls, I just assumed…" he smiled at her "...I'm sorry. Congratulations, sweetie"

She patted his hand and smiled back "It's okay daddy; thank you"

"So, how did you propose?"

"I didn't; not really"

Sin and Damian exchanged a look and started giggling at Quentin's confused and exasperated expression "I'm so happy Nyssa had work to do and couldn't come!" the young girl exclaimed, still giggling with her new best friend "I would hate to miss this"

Sara rolled her eyes, but focused on her father again "It honestly just came up"

"How is it that a marriage proposal 'just came up'?" he asked frowning.

The woman shrugged smiling "We were talking about something else and it came up. Before we knew it, we had agreed to get married"

Quentin took a couple of minutes, and finally shook his head "Don't really know why I'm surprised. I learned to expect anything from you by the time you were four and came up with a plan to steal a pony from the fair because your mother told you we wouldn't get you one. As long as you're happy, I'm happy, baby"

"Thanks, daddy"

"But you gotta tell your mother, 'cause once Donna hears about this, everyone else will"

"Well, then don't tell her yet!"

"Can't keep anything from her. You know how that worked out for me last time"

Sara rolled her eyes again "Gimme like a week or something"

"Four days, that's all I can offer"

"Fine!" the blonde groaned, then bit down on another fry "I guess I'll have to do it over the phone, then. I'll just FaceTime her tomorrow" she then remembered her previous conversation with her fiancée "By the way, I'll be gone for a few days next week"

"Business?" he asked in a low voice, trying to be discreet.

"Kinda" she smiled.

"Can I ask where ya goin'?"

"Yeah, and also, will there be presents when you get back?" Sin asked smirking.

Sara looked at her and smirked too "Sure, I'll bring you some Middle East dust or something"

"I could use a pet lizard. Oh! A pit viper! Those are badass!"

Damian shook his head "You don't want a Tibetan pit viper, trust me"

Quentin looked at them as if they've gone crazy, then asked "Middle East?"

"Middle East-ish. Nyssa and her sister need to go to Nanda Parbat. Damian and I are tagging along"

"We are?!" the boy asked excitedly.

"Yeah, your mom didn't tell you?"

"She doesn't tell me much" he admitted, shaking his head and looking down "She told me she would never let me go back to Nanda Parbat after the last time we were there" he remembered frowning.

The table fell silent and Sara exchanged a worried look with her father. Quentin nodded in the boy's direction and Sara nodded back before asking "Why? What happened last time?"

Damian sighed and looked up "I think my mom didn't agree with Ra's al Ghul's teaching methods. My grandfather, I mean; not khala, the latest Ra's"

"Did he do anything to you? Did anyone hurt you?" Captain Lance asked.

Damian shook his head "No. I think I was like seven or eight, so I couldn't really spar with anyone but my mom or khala. They've always been careful not to hurt me"

"At least his daughters aren't total psychos like he was" Captain Lance commented, and Sara glared at him "Sorry"

"What happened last time you were there, Damian?" Sara tried again.

He frowned and narrowed his eyes, trying to remember "Khala had just came back from a mission. I guess it didn't go well"

"Why would you think that?" the blonde asked, a knot starting to form in her stomach "Nyssa never failed a mission"

"'Cause he said he had to teach her a lesson"

"What was the lesson, kid?" Quentin asked, reaching for his daughter's hand.

Sara looked at him and smiled softly, before squeezing his hand in anticipation, thankful for his silent support.

"He chained khala's hands to the ceiling of his throne room and delivered her punishment for failing him. He made me and my mom stay and watch so we would learn from her mistakes—or that's what he said—even after khala begged him to let me go"

"What did he do?" Quentin asked alarmed, while Sin mumbled "Shit man, that's so fucked up, he's just a kid"

Damian looked down at the table again "He lashed at her with his whip, then said something to her…" he paused, deep in thought "...I don't remember what it was, but after that he stabbed her with his sword. I remember khala didn't even make a sound while he was hurting her, and I think that pissed him off even more, but she was gripping the chains really hard. Even I could see that, and my mom was trying to shield me so I wouldn't really see all the cuts and blood. But I did anyway"

Quentin winced at the pain in his hand, and when Sara noticed she let go of it with an apologetic shrug. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and she was actually afraid to ask for more details.

"What kind of sick son of a bitch does that to his own daughter?!" the man asked angrily "And in front of his grandkid!"

"The stab…" Sara started, looking at the boy "...was delivered from behind, wasn't it?"

He nodded "Yes"

"How—"

"I know every single one of Nyssa's scars" the blonde answered her father's question before he could even voice it "When I asked about that one, 'cause it looked pretty deep and new, she told me she got it during a mission. Now I realize the other ones are from where whip broke the skin"

Damian shook his head "If it looks like a stab wound, and a bunch of thin ones, then she didn't get them during any mission"

Sara swallowed hard "D, I'm sorry to be asking you this, but do you remember anything else? It's really important that you tell me if you do"

The boy tapped his chin thinking "After khala passed out from the blood loss and Ra's left, my mom unchained her and took her to her chambers. Sarab helped us carry her. Mom cleaned and stitched khala's wounds, then gave her that tea that helps you get better faster"

"How old did you say you were?"

He narrowed his eyes "I think it was early 2014, so I wasn't eight yet. I would turn eight in June"

"Shit" Sara whispered under her breath "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"Don't be silly, auntie Sara, khala is fine! Remember? We took care of her and she's fine now" the boy said, smiling sweetly at her and patting her shoulder "You shouldn't dwell on the past"

"D, I need to go do something. You cool staying here with dad and Sin for a little while?"

"Yeah, I like them!" he said smiling, and Sin reached over to mess with his hat, making him giggle and slap her hand away again.

"Dad, do you mind?" she asked, standing up and looking at her father.

"Of course not, baby. But what's going on?"

Sara's eyes filled with tears again and she bent down, saying in a low, shaky voice, only for him to hear "Early 2014 Laurel was poisoned, Nyssa kidnapped mom, and I poisoned myself before she went against her father's orders and released me. **I'm the mission that went wrong** "

* * *

"Nyssa!" Sara shouted, slamming the door to their loft shut, startling the brunette woman sitting on the couch with her laptop.

"Dear God, Sara! Are you trying to kill me?" she asked, placing the laptop on the coffee table "Is everything alright, beloved? Where is Damian?"

"He is eating burgers with my dad and Sin" she said, getting closer to the couch.

"And what are you doing here, then?"

"Take off your shirt" she instructed angrily, standing in front of the couch and removing her Rocket's cap from her head.

Nyssa looked at her with one eyebrow raised "Excuse me?"

"Take your fucking shirt off, Nyssa, I wanna see the scars on your back"

The brunette stood up to face her "Sara, what—"

"Remember Damian? Cute, funny kid, looks a lot like you and your sister" Nyssa opened her mouth to answer but the other woman kept talking "You know what I love about kids? They don't really get why they're supposed to keep certain stuff from you, so they can't; not really"

"Beloved, I have no clue whatsoever about what you are referring to. Is Damian alright?"

"He's fine" Sara practically barked and glared at her fiancée "He had an interesting story for me about the last time he visited Nanda Parbat"

"How is that relevant or even—Oh" the brunette fell silent when realization hit her.

"Mhm" the blonde nodded, folding her arms.

"I see"

"Were you ever gonna tell me?"

"No" Nyssa answered truthfully.

"No?!"

"No" she sighed and shook her head "What would be the point of telling you about it?"

"I have the right to know!" she said angrily "I had the right to know back then, too!"

"To what end?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? 'To what end'?! **I love you** , Nyssa! How could you not tell me?" her anger started to subside when her eyes filled with tears again.

The brunette swallowed hard "Are you honestly surprised? Or that naïve? You once occupied a high rank position in the League, Sara. You've seen my father take countless lives for failed missions. You knew him better than most. Did you truly believe he would spare me only because I happened to be his daughter?"

"Oh my God" Sara moved a hand to cover her open mouth and took a step back "You knew that was gonna happen" she said in shock, then shook her head horrified "You thought he would kill you"

Nyssa grimaced and stared at the floor in silence for several moments, until another angry shout startled her "Look at me!"

She took a deep breath and looked into the other woman's eyes.

"Why?" Sara asked, visibly heartbroken.

"You were willing to end your life so it would end your suffering. I had no problem giving my life in exchange for your protection. You see..." the brunette started to explain, taking a deep breath "...receiving a punishment—any kind of punishment—meant that my father acknowledged my actions and you would be free from the League"

"At the price of your own life?"

"Yes" she shrugged, smiling sadly "If I am being honest with you, I truly believed that would be the case"

Sara started crying and covered her face with both her hands. Her fiancée took a step closer and reached out to touch her arm, only to get shoved away "Don't!"

"Habibti"

"I can't believe you would've let him kill you!" the blonde yelled between sobs, and Nyssa took a deep, calming breath, closing her eyes "What were you thinking?!" another deep breath "What if he did? What if he killed you? You didn't care?!" third and not-so-calming breath "What would I have done without you?!"

And snap.

"The same thing I would have been forced to do, should your boy toy, Oliver Queen, could not save your life when you poisoned yourself!" she opened her eyes and glared at the blonde "But you did not think about that, did you? You did not think about what it would have done to me, had you succeeded. For all intents and purposes, I would have been your murderer; I would have been exactly what my father intended for me to be" Sara flinched slightly at the unusually harsh tone, but tried not to let it show "If anything happened to me, at least you would have known and be certain of my feelings for you. If you had died that night, I would have spent the rest of my life, however short it might have been, convinced you didn't love me and doubting if you ever had"

"How the fuck can you possibly say that?!" the blonde asked, getting seriously pissed.

"You did not correct my assumption that night"

"I didn't think I needed to! Doing it would've caused you nothing but pain. You always knew how much I love you!"

Nyssa snorted "Of course, poisoning yourself instead of coming back with me was most definitely the ultimate demonstration of that love"

"And kidnapping my mother was?!"

"You knew your mother was not in danger, Sara. I do not take prisoners. If I wanted your mother dead, she would have been" the brunette said through gritted teeth "I was not the one who left in the middle of the night without an explanation or even saying goodbye. My love for you was **never** in doubt"

"What's that supposed to mean?! Mine was?!"

"Clearly"

"You can be such an ass!" Sara shouted frustrated, kicking the couch twice for emphasis "I already apologized a thousand times! I screwed up, I know! What else do you want from me?!"

"To not judge me for the choices I made while grieving. I am merely human, I had just lost the love of my life and could not think of anything else to do to guarantee your safety"

"Then at least apologize to me!"

Nyssa frowned and shook her head "I will not apologize for trying to give you what you so desperately wanted"

"What's your excuse for not telling me after, then?" the blonde asked, hands on her hips "For lying to me about those scars?!"

"I do not need one"

"I swear to God, Nyssa, I'm **this** close to kicking your stubborn ass!" Sara said, holding her thumb and her index finger really close together.

"Is the blood lust bothering you? Here, allow me…" Nyssa moved her hand to her back and unsheathed her dagger, holding the blade, hilt out for Sara to grab "...this shall make things easier for you"

"Fuck you, Nyssa!" the blonde took the dagger, flipped it to hold the blade, then threw it past her fiancée's head, perfectly hitting a concrete column by the stairs "I don't need a fucking dagger to kick your ass!"

That being said, she lunged violently at the other woman.


	14. Awesome Foreplay & Thea's Formal Warning

The comments and reactions the previous chapter got were **in-fucking-sane**! Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read and review/comment. Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough. Hope you still enjoy the rest of the story.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Awesome Foreplay & Thea's Formal Warning**

That being said, she lunged violently at the other woman.

Her thrust lacked real intention, that was clear to Nyssa: it was merely to prove a point; but before Sara could even touch her, the other woman took a hold of her wrist and twisted it slightly without applying any pressure, but still forcing her to bend over to keep her wrist and shoulder in place "You were seriously about to hit me?"

Sara flipped her body and freed her arm, taking a firm hold of Nyssa's hand and bending it backwards, quickly moving to stand behind her, locking her right arm behind her back "I wasn't and you know it"

The brunette reached back with her left hand, putting some pressure on a specific spot in Sara's right hand, forcing the woman to release her. She quickly turned around to face her and carefully pushed her back, blocking Sara's attempt to lock her arm again.

The blonde turned them around so she had more room to move, just in case Nyssa would go into 'al Ghul' mode. She noticed they were almost by the kitchen area now, and shoved the other woman one last time, pinning her back against the kitchen island. She reached up, using her right hand to hold Nyssa's jaw firmly, forcing her to look into her eyes "Stop"

Nyssa tilted her head back to get rid of the strong grip on her clenched jaw, then tried to flip their position, but was met with two strong hands grabbing her wrists and Sara's body flush against hers, holding her in place "Nyssa, stop!" the blonde repeated more forcefully.

They stared into each other's eyes, breathing heavily, until Sara's eyes darted briefly down to her lips before she closed the small gap between them and kissed her furiously.

The brunette responded right away, tangling her fingers in Sara's hair as soon as her hands were free, and biting down hard on the blonde's bottom lip, eliciting an almost feral growl from her.

Sara pulled away from the kiss long enough to remove Nyssa's shirt first, then hers in one swift motion. She moved her hands back to the brunette's hip, while the woman wasted no time in getting rid of her fiancee's bra, kissing her deeply again.

She felt a hard, insistent tug on her hair as her hands moved down the sides of Nyssa's thighs, then back up, roughly pushing the soft, red skirt up.

The action earned her another insistent tug, this time accompanied by an almost inaudible and desperate whine. She kissed down the brunette's neck, sucking on her pulse point when her fingers brushed against soft underwear.

Nyssa groaned and moved her hands to the back of her skirt, unzipping it carefully and letting it fall to the floor as soon as the blonde moved her hand to allow it.

She yelped when she felt Sara's hands on her waist, holding her up easily, to sit her on the island counter. The blonde involuntarily laughed at the sound, making her fiancée laugh, too, then started kissing up her left leg while hooking her fingers on the waistband of Nyssa's underwear and pulling it down.

The brunette leaned back when she felt the all too familiar soft kisses on the inside of her thigh, but used her left elbow to hold herself up enough to be able to look at the other woman. Sara noticed and smirked to herself, still moving up with the same soft kisses "Fucking love that you like to watch" she almost growled, nipping at the skin under her lips.

"I am fully aware you enjoy it almost as much as I do" the brunette said half smirking, running her right hand's fingers through the other woman's hair.

"If not even more" she mumbled before reaching her destination, feeling Nyssa's strong fingers take a firm hold of her hair after the first soft lick.

She licked, kissed and sucked every spot she knew would drive the other woman closer and closer to the edge, eliciting countless soft gasps and quiet moans. The firm grip on her hair never faltered, and soon enough those quiet moans turned into an all too familiar, but still as powerful as the first time she heard it, soft whining.

The blonde moved her right hand up to rest on Nyssa's stomach to hold her down, using her thumb to softly rub the soft skin there, and within seconds she felt the muscles beneath her fingers tighten as Nyssa's back arched.

Her head thrown back and her previously soft whining hitting a surprisingly high pitched note—even if only for a split second—Nyssa finally let go.

Sara helped her ride out her orgasm, making it last as long as she could, then climbed on top of the counter, slowly kissing her way up the other woman's body while the brunette tried to remember how is one supposed to breathe like a normal and fully functional human being.

Without even opening her eyes, Nyssa hooked her arm around the blonde's neck and pulled her down for a long, hard, giggling kiss. Sara kept her forehead against hers after the kiss, and even with her eyes closed Nyssa could tell the blonde was smiling "I love you" she whispered against her lips, only daring to open one eye.

"I love you, too"

She kissed her again, softly this time "I'm sorry, beloved. I should never have lied to you about those scars; truth is, I was afraid to tell you about them and what would they make you think of me"

The blonde nodded, smiling softly "I know. It's okay, I get it. But you need to promise never to do that again, Nyssa, I don't like feeling like an ass 'cause you kept me in the dark. Nothing can or will change how I feel about you" now was her turn to kiss the other woman when she saw her nod in agreement.

"Don't ever leave it up to me to guess your feelings, Sara" the brunette said seriously, frowning with concern "That is what got us in this situation in the first place. I will always take your word, whatever that might be; so if you lie to me, you can't blame me for assuming that was, indeed, the truth"

Sara nodded and looked at her apologetically "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for fake trying to kick your ass, too"

Nyssa chuckled and shook her head "I know you were not actually trying. Neither was I"

"I know; if you wanted me dead or unconscious, I would be. Blood lust and pit strenght be damned" she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows up and down "Awesome foreplay, tho"

They laughed again until something started vibrating against Nyssa's hip, startling them both "Is that your phone?"

Sara grinned at her before reaching inside her pocket "No, I'm just really happy to see you"

The brunette rolled her eyes and poked her as she answered the ringing phone "Hey, dad, is everything okay?"

Nyssa frowned, waiting to hear something that would let her know Damian was alright.

"Yeah, okay, cool" she said nodding, then continued the topic of conversation, whatever it was "I think in like an hour; stuff got... Intense"

The brunette bit her lip trying not to laugh and looked away, still paying attention to Sara's side of the conversation "We're fine" a groan "Is that really necessary?" a sigh "I know she's been through a lot already, daddy" a loud huff "Fine!" then a soft voice addressing her "Can you please say something so my dad can make sure you are not 'hurt or worse'?"

She chuckled "I can assure you, I am not hurt or worse, Captain Lance"

"There! Happy?"

Nyssa smiled and ran her fingers down her fiancée's back.

"Yes. Oh my God, no! Okay. Fine. Look, dad, I gotta go, bye!" she groaned, leaving the phone on the counter "Everything is fine; they are at my dad's. Laurel and Tommy are coming for dinner. So are Thea and Roy, apparently, 'cause they ran into them"

"You did say we have an hour, correct?"

"Yeah"

She wrapped one arm around Sara's waist, flipping their position and laying half on top of her, a mischievous grin on her face "Excellent"

* * *

"Just so you know, if you drop him and break his neck, his mother is gonna literally rip your heart out of your chest with her bare hands and shove it down your throat or up your ass; depending on the mood"

"Relax, Sara!" Tommy said nonchalantly, laughing with Damian, who was thrown over his shoulder hanging upside down. He turned to face her when the words registered in his brain "Wait, what?"

"You heard me"

"Yeah, but that can't be right; it sounds like this woman is scarier than Nyssa, and I know that's not possible"

"Oh, but it is, Thomas" Nyssa said smirking as she entered the living room. She sat down on the couch with Sara and crossed her legs "I believe I am, as you would say, 'the nice one' in our family"

"Well, that's one scary thought" Roy said, sharing a smile with the woman.

"Should I stop, then?"

Nyssa shook her head "Not unless you wish to do so. I do believe Damian has been spending an excessive amount of time surrounded by women. Some manly influence should be good for him"

The blonde scoffed "Manly? I've heard him shriek, Nyssa. Shriek. More than once. I'm manlier than he is"

"Hey!"

"What part of that sentence wasn't true?" Sara asked him raising one eyebrow.

Tommy rolled his eyes and carefully put the boy down. Damian laughed and ran to Roy, who was waiting for him with his arms open. He picked him up and flipped him upside down, holding him up by his ankles, which made the boy laugh again.

"I didn't say it wasn't true, it just hurt my feelings" Tommy said indignantly.

"See?!" the blonde said, raising her arm in his direction while looking at Nyssa, who was trying not to laugh.

"Stop bullying my husband, Sara" Laurel said moving to hug him and kiss his cheek "He is manly enough for me"

"Then you're basically a lesbian" her younger sister smirked.

"Who's a lesbian now?" Thea asked, walking to the couch and sitting between both former assassins, wiggling a little so they would move and make room for her.

"Laurel" Sara answered, grinning when she saw her sister roll her eyes.

"You are?" the young Queen asked and shrugged "Well, whatever floats your boat, Lance" she rested her head on Nyssa's shoulder when the woman stretched her arm over the back of the couch to play with Sara's hair "Wait, are you divorcing Tommy? 'Cause if you are, I want the present I got you back"

"She's not divorcing me!" the man said shaking his head, then looked down at his wife "You're not divorcing me, right?"

Laurel laughed and kissed his cheek again "No, babe, I'm not divorcing you; nor am I attracted to women"

"Huh" Thea said pursing her lips "Not even Nyssa?"

The older Lance sister arched one eyebrow and smirked "No, but I'm starting to think you might be"

Thea grinned and wrapped one arm around Nyssa's waist, snuggling in closer and ignoring the murderous look she got from the blonde sitting on her other side "Maybe"

Nyssa laughed and wrapped her arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

"I'm onto you, Thea, hands where I can see 'em" Sara warned.

She tilted her head in the blonde's direction before smirking "Look, I respect your engagement and stuff, but if you are stupid enough to leave again, I'm making my move. This is my official, formal warning"

"Then I guess you'll have to settle for Roy, 'cause I'm not going anywhere"

"We'll see about that" Thea said chuckling before resuming her Nyssa-snuggling.

"It's getting really hard not to feel insulted" Roy pointed out staring at the tv screen where he and Damian were playing a videogame.

"Welcome to the club" Tommy said smiling, kissing Laurel and going to the 'men's couch', sitting down next to Damian "I play the winner"

Sin walked into the living room, stopping short at the sight of Thea cuddling with Nyssa "That's seriously freaking me out. Stop it"

Quentin walked in behind her, taking a few seconds to look at both women. He frowned, scoffed, shook his head, shrugged, grabbed his coat, waved at the group, and kept walking to the front door without saying a word.

"What's your problem? You want in?" Thea asked her friend once Captain Lance was out of the house.

"Not really"

"Why not? Nyssa is very cuddly"

The statement made Nyssa half smile and Sara nod in agreement.

"I'm having a really hard time with this whole thing…" Sin explained, waving her hand in front of them "...you are way cooler than this, Nys"

Nyssa's arm around Thea tightened, and she winked in Sin's direction, still half smiling "A lady should never be deprived of anything she desires if one can help it. Regardless of how 'un-cool' the result might turn out to look like for third parties"

Sin scoffed and Laurel smirked looking at her sister while moving to one of the armchairs "That's some serious game your fiancée has going on there"

"Yep! Actually, her full name is: Nyssa 'Game-for-Days' Raatko" Sara said grinning proudly.

"Still have no idea what she's doing with you"

"I have some game of my own" she said winking, then holding the right half of her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Ew" Sin said grimacing.

"Well, I do!"

"True" Nyssa agreed.

"Alright!" Tommy exclaimed standing up and looking at Damian "I think it's your bedtime, pal"

"No, c'mon, just five more minutes! I was about to kick the Green Arrow's butt, just like khala would!"

All the grown ups froze at hearing him say that. Some of them, like Roy and Tommy frowned in disbelief, but others, like Laurel and Nyssa, only smirked discreetly.

"You think Nyssa can kick the Green Arrow's butt?" Roy asked.

"Yeah" the boy said shrugging "She's pretty badass"

"She is, but seriously? Like, Green Arrow level of badass?" the young man insisted.

Damian rolled his eyes "Yeah! Even more, she's been training since she was a little kid"

"I'm with Damian on that one" Laurel said giggling.

"And how do you know the Green Arrow hasn't?" this time was Sara's turn to ask.

"You can tell" he turned to look at her "I mean, **you** should be able to tell by the way he fights" he added, implying her past with the League "Too many openings, he's sloppy. Khala isn't. She can kick his butt for sure if she wants to"

The blonde turned to look at her fiancée, who looked back at her raising her eyebrows and shrugging as if it was the first time she was hearing her nephew say that.

"My mom thinks so, too" Damian continued "And that 'the Arsenal boy' could use some real training if he wants to live past twenty-five. She says he uses so much unnecessary parkour to make up for the fact that he's smaller than the rest of them" he looked at Roy up and down "Kinda like you"

Roy looked at Nyssa completely outraged, which made the brunette shrug again, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

"Speedy is mostly okay, though" the boy observed scratching the back of his head "She seems to know what she's doing when she fights"

"Ha!" Thea exclaimed triumphantly, only to get smacked on the back of her head by Nyssa "I mean, yeah, I totally agree on that, you're a smart kid"

Sara eyed him suspiciously "Who told you to say that?"

"I am Damian Wayne, son of Talia al Ghul, former Heir to the Demon; I don't take orders from anyone" he said with a hard expression on his face.

"Except from those above you, meaning your mother and khala" the blonde observed, and he had to relax his stance and nod "So, who was it?"

"I told you: no one" he repeated "Those are my personal observations. I am League trained, aunt Sara, I'm supposed to notice that kinda stuff"

Sara looked at her fiancée arching one eyebrow "It was you, wasn't it?"

"I did not do such thing" the brunette responded indignantly "I would never force my nephew to voice thoughts that are not his own"

"Well, just so you know, Damian…" the blonde looked back at him "...the Green Arrow and your khala faced each other and she did **not** win"

"I was distracted by your seemingly imminent death!" Nyssa glared at her indignantly, which made Sara smirk.

"You spared his life?" the boy asked, his curious gaze directed at his aunt.

"We spared each other's lives in multiple occasions, Damian, yes"

"Why?"

"He was never a target of mine. Our disputes were of a personal nature. The League does not kill innocents merely because they are a personal inconvenience" she made a point to renmark the last word.

Damian looked at her deep in thought, finally deciding she was right and nodding shortly "Agreed"

"Huh" Thea tilted her head and looked at Nyssa "Never thought of it that way"

"Consider it part of your moral training" the woman said in a low voice only for her to hear, then focused on Sara "Was that enough explanation for your curious observation? Are you satisfied?"

The blonde smirked and made a point to look at her fiancée as she licked her lips "Mhm, very, you took care of that earlier"

Tommy bent down and picked the boy up over his shoulder again "Okay, that's it! Trust me, kid. These women can scar you for life. Considering one of them is your aunt, you really don't wanna be here" he turned around so Damian could see the rest of the group and not just his back "Say goodnight"

"Goodnight!" the boy said waving.

Sara leaned forward and fistbumped him, while Nyssa smiled sweetly "Night, kid"

Tommy started walking up the stairs, saying something that made Damian laugh again.

"So what's your game?" Thea asked looking at Sara once Tommy and the boy were out of earshot "Like, explicitly"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go hang out with the guys" Roy said standing up and walking away. Before he could go upstairs, though, there was a soft knock on the front door, and after seeing Nyssa nod at him, he stopped to open it.

A smiling Felicity and a frowning Oliver were on the other side, and he moved aside to let them in.

"Hi, sorry we're late, you'll find out the reasons in the following weeks. Probably" the woman said walking into the living room "Where's Damian?"

"Bedtime" Laurel explained.

"Aw, frack, I really wanted to meet him!" she whined "He looked so cute in those pics Sara sent today!"

"You can meet him tomorrow, Felicity" Nyssa offered smiling and the hacker nodded, sitting on the arm of Laurel's chair "So, what are we talking about? Catch me up! And why are Thea and Nyssa cuddling? That's just weird"

"Thank you!" Sin exclaimed "Sara was about to traumatize me. Do you know a good shrink? Money ain't a problem, she's paying"

"That's my cue to leave" Roy said, then looked at Oliver "Tommy is upstairs, in case you want an excuse to escape this, and I recommend you do"

"Yes, please" they both ran upstairs as fast as they could and went to find Tommy.

"Anyway" the hacker exclaimed rubbing her hands "How are we traumatizing Sin?"

Nyssa glared at Sara, who laughed and shrugged "What? You started this"

"I did not"

"Yeah, you kinda did, being all charming"

"I blame Laurel, then"

"Leave Laurel alone" Laurel said laughing.

"What did you do?" Felicity asked nudging her with her elbow.

"I pointed out the fact that Nyssa has some serious game"

"She does? I mean, of course she does, look at her. She's gorgeous! Not that you're not!" she added in a rush looking at Sara "You both are obviously very hot and stuff. Even when you do assassin-y things you look like, super hot—not that I think that in a sexual way. Of course not. But a woman can appreciate another woman, right? Especially with all the leather. But not exclusively, for example, that skirt looks particularly good you, Nyssa, you have great legs—n-not that I'm staring at your legs! I mean, I think we can all acknowledge—"

"Felicity" Laurel interrupted smirking "I think we got it"

"Oh, God, thank you" the blonde hacker said grimacing and rubbing her forehead "I wasn't sure I was ever gonna stop"

"Yeah, figured"

"So, what's your game?" Thea asked again, shifting to her left to look at Sara.

The blonde laughed and shrugged when Nyssa shot her another look "I've been told my tongue is as good to get me in trouble, as it is to get me out of it"

"Ew" Sin repeated.

Thea rolled her eyes and looked at her friend "No one is making you stay, you can go hang with the boys if you want"

"I don't want to, guess I'm a masochist" the young girl said shrugging and moved to the now empty couch.

"That still doesn't explain how you landed Nyssa" Laurel pointed out "That had to be something she discovered **after** giving you a chance"

"Yeah, I agree with Laurel…" Felicity said and moved to the couch Sin had claimed for herself. She lifted the girl's legs and sat down, placing Sin's feet on her lap "...so, who hit on whom?"

Sara looked at the brunette again, who just rolled her eyes and shrugged "Sara, you already overshared that piece of information regarding what I once said about your tongue. I have learned, after years of experience in the field, there is not much I can stop you from saying or doing when you do not wish to be stopped. Go ahead, beloved, I can see in your eyes you are dying to"

The blonde chuckled and nodded excitedly, then looked at Felicity and asked "Who would you say if you had to guess?"

"You. One hundred percent. You started it" the hacker responded immediately.

"Wait a minute, I don't know about that" Thea interrupted tapping her chin with one finger "My money might be on Nyssa here. She is a woman who knows what she wants and has literally zero issues with going for it"

"Pft! Are you kidding me?" Laurel asked in disbelief "Have you just met Sara? I would even bet she started sexually harassing Nyssa one week after they met"

"I don't know, dude…" Sin started "...it had to be kinda dangerous to hit on the Heir to the Demon like that. You could end up, like, super dead"

Sara pointed at her and touched the tip of her nose repeatedly with her other index finger "We all know I can't stay outta trouble, tho"

"Toldcha!" Laurel exclaimed triumphantly.

"I didn't say you were right" her sister stopped her.

"Well, then say something!" the older Lance sister said irritatedly.

Nyssa smirked and moved her arm again to play with Sara's hair "She was obviously very aware of the risks, but if anything, your sister is amazingly clever, resourceful, and persistent, Laurel" she started and Sara nodded proudly "I believe she was the first person in history who successfully manipulated my father"

"What? How?" Felicity asked intrigued.

The brunette licked her lips and smiled looking at her fiancée "How long had you been in the League by then? About three months?"

"Yeah, sounds about right" Sara said thinking "I wasn't an active asset yet"

Nyssa nodded "She meticulously made my father believe she wasn't improving like she should—even though, in reality, she already excelled at several disciplines—and started the rumor that she was having second thoughts about joining the league" she smiled and continued "Due to the circumstances of her arrival at Nanda Parbat, and because I had expressed my already subconsciously-inclined support and confidence in her training, my father, in his anger, decided to punish me" she smiled at Sara "Or, at least he thought he was punishing me. He made me responsible for her training and improvement in all League matters; that way, **her** failure would be **mine** to pay for"

"Meaning: she had to be the one to train me in **all** combat disciplines, stealth, teach me Arabic, Mandarin and Pashto, and even supervise my firsts solo missions to report back to him"

"So, basically, be on your ass 24/7" Thea resumed "No pun intended; dunno if you guys are into that or what… Not judging"

Her last sentence made the blonde laugh "Anyway! If I screwed up, it would be her fault. So she had to make sure I wouldn't"

"That was when the innuendos started"

"And we all know I excel at that, too"

Felicity shook her head and looked at Nyssa "How on earth did a man as smart and devious as your father fall for that? I mean, the guy was insane, but we have to admit he was pretty smart"

The woman smiled proudly, rubbing the back of Sara's neck with her thumb "She found and played his only weakness: his pride for his League"

"You are one scary lady" Sin said looking at Sara "I guess the innuendos worked?"

"Like a charm" she chuckled "Don't get me wrong, I got my ass handed to me more times than I would like to admit; but eventually I got a raised eyebrow and a half smirk instead of a leg sweep. It's the little things, you know?"

"However…" Nyssa said showing the half smirk Sara had just mentioned "...she was not the one who took the first step. Explicitly speaking"

"Nope! But I did take steps number two, three, four and probably five, whatever those are"

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter (my version of Damian). If interested, PM for details.


	15. Nanda Parbat

**Chapter 15: Nanda Parbat**

"I forgot how long this stupid flight was" Sara said, drumming her fingers on the armrest and looking out the window "I'm bored" she sighed loudly "Hey, do you think some day people will be able to teleport wherever they wanna go? 'Cause I would be all about that" she paused, waiting for an answer "I'll text Cisco and ask. Maybe he can start looking into it, right?" after receiving nothing but silence, she directed her gaze away from the window and to the woman sitting to her left "Nyssa? Are you even listening?"

"Mh?" the woman asked, looking up from her book and finding her fiancée's annoyed expression "Were you saying something, beloved?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and reclined her seat, using her wide brimmed hat to cover her face "Go back to your book, nerd"

She heard a hearty chuckle and lifted the hat to peer at the woman sitting in front of her "Shut up, Talia"

That simple statement made the woman laugh even harder "Well, aren't you a treat, little bird"

"How's this for a little bird?" she flipped her off, lowering her hat over her face again, but keeping her middle finger up.

"I have to admit, sister, I couldn't fathom what you saw in her all those years ago, but she really is something else. I can see now why you are so fond of her"

"Yeah, your sister is also really fond of this one" the blonde said wiggling her finger.

Nyssa elbowed her, but Talia was laughing again "This shall prove to be a rather interesting trip"

"Can you please put that finger down, Sara? Inappropriate innuendo aside, what if Damian wakes up?" Nyssa asked in a low voice, glancing at the boy sleeping comfortably behind them.

Sara scoffed under her hat, but kept quiet and did what her fiancée asked "How long till we land?" she asked after a few minutes, obviously getting bored again.

Talia smiled and checked the route on her iPad before responding "Our descent shall begin any minute now"

The blonde pulled her hat up and stared at her "Really?"

"Yes, Sara"

"Where are we landing this time?"

"Dushanbe" Nyssa was the one to answer now.

Sara frowned looking at her "Isn't that a little too obvious? We weren't supposed to do that back then"

"I trust no one is expecting or even interested in us visiting Nanda Parbat, beloved. There is no reason that suggests we should land anywhere farther"

The blonde stared at her for a few seconds, disbelief written all over her face "I can't believe you just said that. If we die, I'm kicking your ass for jinxing it"

"Fair enough" her fiancée said smiling.

Talia got up from her seat and moved closer to Damian, carefully waking him up, right before the Captain announced they were about to start their descent. The boy buckled his seatbelt, straightened his seat, and in a few seconds was asleep again.

"Lucky tiny assassin" Sara mumbled when she heard him snoring lightly again.

Both sisters smiled and resumed their reading, leaving the blonde to her thoughts again "So, then what? Another plane? Death car ride?"

"Death car ride?" Talia asked confused.

"Long story, you don't wanna know"

"Helicopter" Nyssa said smiling, remembering the 'death car ride', as Sara liked to call it.

"Cool! Who's gonna pilot?"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm stuck in a helicopter with **her** "

"I repeatedly offered to teach you how to pilot one, Ta-er al-Asfer, and you refused every single time. You have only yourself to blame for this situation"

"I go by Sara now, just so you know"

"You'll always be Ta-er al-Asfer to me"

"Whatever, Zindy"

"Don't call me that"

"Children" Talia mumbled pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"She started it" Sara said folding her arms and pouting.

"What exactly did she start?" Talia asked, while Nyssa continued to ignore their discussion.

"She doesn't even remember" the pilot said smirking.

"I do too!"

"Why don't you enlighten us, then, **Sara**?"

"We were in… Metropolis…? Doing the… thing, with the stuff. And you said… something that pissed me off and then… Fine, whatever, I don't remember; but I do know I wanna kick your ass, so that's enough for me!"

"You got irrationally mad at me for aiding Nyssa during a mission you weren't even a part of" the woman said smiling "More specifically, for something that wasn't my fault whatsoever"

"Oh, yeah!" the blonde exclaimed snapping her fingers and pointing at the other blonde woman "Stockholm! You ran into Nyssa 'cause you went there to get that stupid drug plane!"

Nyssa shook her head at the mention of her name, but kept quiet, having no desire to relive in the slightest the confrontation she had with Sara when she got home after that mission.

The woman nodded "If anyone is to blame for what happened, it should be her father"

"He didn't kiss my girlfriend!"

"That statement is **so** disturbing, you weirdo" the pilot shuddered and shook her head "What I meant is that he underestimated their target. She found herself dangerously outnumbered and needed my help"

"You could've kept your lips to yourself!"

"And if I did that, we both would be dead now. Probably. It was for like three seconds, Sara. I'm not even into women, you know that" she answered getting frustrated "Nyssa, care to help here?"

"Not particularly, no"

"At least tell her she is being irrational"

"Please, leave me out of this ridiculous dispute"

Sara glared at the blonde woman again "I'm kicking your ass, Loser Killer Shark"

"Feel free to try as soon as we land. But remember our misunderstanding in 1959 and, please, reconsider. I don't look forward to having to fight you again, Ta-er al-Asfer" she shrugged "Oh, and if that is, in fact, what you want to do, at least stop calling me all those stupid names and refer to me as Lady Blackhawk"

* * *

Nyssa clenched and unclenched her fists, looking down at her leather clad hands "I almost forgot how good this feels"

Her fiancée, who was walking next to her twirling her collapsible bō staff in her hand, made a point to look up and down her body in appreciation "Can't say I ever hated it"

The brunette smirked and shook her head, readjusting her quiver over her shoulder "I must admit, Laurel and Mr. Ramon have exquisite taste"

"If you lovers are done drooling over each other's battle armor, I would like to be able to walk faster" Talia said from behind them, making Damian Laugh.

The woman was dressed comfortably in her high rank League robes, with Damian also sporting his official gear, that consisted in an all black and white leather ensemble. His sword sheathed at his waist.

The blonde rolled her eyes as they walked faster, reaching the path leading to the temple in a few short minutes. The four of them looked up at the massive structure carved in the mountain as soon as it came into view, and resumed walking to the main gates.

They found them locked, without visible chains anywhere, and Talia huffed in frustration, kicking a loose rock.

Sara looked at the woman smirking and arching one eyebrow "Correct me if I'm wrong, but…" she took a few steps forward, standing on the left side of the doors and nodding when Nyssa did the same on the right side "...didn't you grow up here?" both women got down on one knee and carefully reached inside an almost identical narrow crack on the stone wall on either side of the doors.

Talia watched them frowning "Why is that relevant for our current situation? And what on earth are you two doing?"

Both women stood up, and Sara took a step back, standing next to the other two while Nyssa moved in front of the huge wooden doors "Well, I remember trying to teach you some stuff. Didn't you learn anything?"

"What do you—" she stopped when her younger sister ran her right hand down the door, and stopped when she reached a particularly smooth portion of the wood. Nyssa smiled to herself and pushed softly, the heavy doors creaking loudly before opening in front of them "—Oh"

The blonde smirked and followed Nyssa, who was carefully making her way inside.

The woman looked around and started lighting some of the torches lined against the walls. The great hall looked as massive as always, but strangely empty and unnervingly silent. It also looked like it had been vacated in a hurry, with a few pieces of furniture knocked over, and various random pieces of weapons and decorations scattered around the floor.

"What happened here?" Talia asked, moving with Nyssa to light the torches.

"Merlyn" her younger sister explained.

Damian walked to the center of the room and looked around in awe "Cool being back, huh?" Sara asked, standing by his side.

The boy nodded looking up at her "Do you think our stuff is still here?"

"Well, I sure hope so, 'cause I left a brand new pair of boots and a couple of custom made weapons here" the blonde said, then looked at Nyssa "Do you know if he emptied our chambers?"

Her fiancée shook her head "No. I took the liberty of sealing all three of our chambers shut before I escaped"

"How did you manage to do so?" Talia asked, walking around. She picked up and examined a discarded torn robe, before dropping it again.

"The same way we managed to open the front gate, sister" Nyssa said half smiling "This place has many secrets. Some of which Sara and I accidentally discovered several years ago"

Her older sister raised one eyebrow and smirked "Accidentally while attempting to sneak behind father's back for some 'alone time'?"

"Perhaps"

Sara chuckled and wiggled her eyebrows at Nyssa's sister "Yeah, we had our fun here"

"You are not to wander around by yourselves unsupervised" Talia said with a half smile, making both women laugh "Damian, why don't you go help your khala with our chambers, while Sara and I make sure the rest of the temple is safe?" she exchanged a look with her sister, who nodded and held her hand out for the boy.

"Okay!" he said excitedly and took Nyssa's hand.

"Be safe" Sara instructed her fiancée, stealing a soft, smiling kiss.

"Always, beloved" the woman answered and walked away with her nephew.

"You two disgust me" Talia said and walked past the blonde once Nyssa and her son disappeared down a long corridor.

If that sentence came from anyone else, they would be lying on the ground with their ass kicked by now, but there was no malice at all in the woman's tone; in fact, she could detect some amusement.

"Jealous much?" Sara scoffed, walking with her and lighting some torches, too.

"Do you truly believe I am jealous?" Talia asked folding her arms "Please, Sara"

The blonde smirked and was about to answer, when she pushed the heavy, spiked door leading to the throne room open and stopped dead in her tracks.

Talia bumped into her back and huffed loudly "For the love of God, Sara, move" she tried to shove to younger woman away, but was immediately stopped.

"Do you hear that?"

The woman stopped, sensing the tension and looked around the room. Both of them exchanged a look, and Sara reached for a torch, lighting it up and stretching her arm inside the room.

The annoying sound got louder and they looked up "Holy shit"

"Ugh!" Talia groaned disgusted "Does it have to be bats? I hate bats"

"Seriously, Talia?" Sara smiled amused and moved the torch to see the other woman's face "You hate bats?"

"Oh, grow up, Sara" she looked up again and shuddered. The ceiling was literally covered with countless bats hanging upside down. Their eyes twinkling with the light of the torch Sara was holding.

"Just pointing out the irony" Sara said smiling, stepping into the room to light some more torches.

"I will not discuss this topic further" the woman said from the doorway.

Sara stood in the middle of the room and looked around frowning once all the torches and hanging lamps were alight. She looked up one more time, then back at the walls of the sealed room "This doesn't make any sense" she exchanged a worried look with Talia. The woman unsheathed her sword and stepped forward, at the same time Sara wiped out her collapsible bō and turned to face the other side of the room.

The bats started screeching louder, their wings flapping frantically "If you must know, I am now willing to reconsider your suggestion of burning the whole structure to the ground" Talia said, taking a few careful steps forward, standing back to back with Sara as their eyes scanned the room.

Suddenly the noise stopped altogether and a calm male voice sounded loud and clear "Where is he?"

"Show yourself, intruder" Talia instructed.

"Where is he?" the voice repeated.

"This 'voice from beyond' thing isn't really working for me" the blonde said scanning the room "So why don't you cut the crap, pal?"

"You have an interesting attitude for someone that small" a male figure stepped out from a dark corner "I will ask politely one more time" he moved his hands behind his back and held his chin up in defiance "Where is Malcolm Merlyn?"

Sara quickly looked at him, taking note of the weird looking sword he was holding in his right hand and the quiver full of arrows flung across his back. She noticed he had a bow hanging from his shoulder, and other than that, he didn't seem to be carrying any other big weapon.

"How would we know where he is?"

He looked at her and smiled amused "You are assassins, aren't you? And this is Nanda Parbat; home of the League of Assassins"

"Who are you?" Talia asked in a growl.

He raised the arm holding his sword, pointing it at her "I will be the one asking questions and you will be the ones answering them"

She scoffed "Or what?"

The man tilted his head and gave them a half smile "I believe you are the one who doesn't like bats?" he asked and noticed her body tense, answering his question "They are fascinating creatures" he looked up in concentration and half the bats started flying in circles over them "Fully capable of responding to the most complex commands"

"Who the fuck are you?" Sara asked looking up "The bat whisperer?"

He chuckled, placing his left hand over his chest, letting show a missing pinky finger "I like you. So I will give you and your friend one more chance. Where is Malcolm Merlyn? Bring him to me and I shall let you both live"

"We have nothing to do with that coward, sorry excuse of a man" Talia spat angrily.

"I do not believe you" he pointed his sword at her again.

"Put that away unless you plan on using it, child. Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

He grinned devilishly and kept his sword up "Do you?" some of the bats rushed down in Talia's direction, but the woman swung her sword up, literally slicing them in half.

"Ew! Talia! You covered me in bat juice! Gross!" Sara grimaced wiping her face. It took her less than a second to do that, but when she looked up again, the man had his sword at the other woman's throat.

The blonde quickly caught him by surprise, using her bō and knocking the sword out of his hand. Talia used the momentum and swung her sword, but the man recovered enough to move out of the way just in time, getting only a small cut on his shoulder.

He punched her squarely in the jaw, making her stumble back a few feet, then unhooked his bow from his shoulder and quickly shot at arrow, hitting her mid thigh and aiming a second one at the blonde "Don't" he warned.

Talia bit down hard, groaning in pain, and charged at him again. She sliced the next arrow in half while it was in mid air and with a second swing of her sword, she managed to connect with his right thigh, producing a deep looking gash.

The man winced painfully and moved to the side, reaching for the arrow sticking out of the woman's leg and twisting it violently, making her groan in pain before kicking her leg and shoving her away from him.

Sara glanced at Talia, who was now on the floor, both sides of her thigh pierced by the arrow. The woman nodded at her, letting her know she was—mostly—alright, and the blonde nodded back.

"You're really pissing me off, bat freak!" she growled, shrugging off her long white leather coat and twirling her bō as she advanced on him.

He let go of the arrow he had nocked already and she swung her bō, knocking it out of the way. He repeated the action, and she moved to the side this time, avoiding it completely "You missed"

By then he was within her reach, so she went for a quick leg sweep. He blocked her staff with his bow, moving his arm in a wide arc to push the weapon to the other side of their bodies. Sara took advantage of the movement that left him open and delivered a front kick to his stomach, sending him stumbling back a couple of feet.

The man recovered quickly and went for a full attack. He dropped his bow and took a long dagger from his back, lunging at her.

"Mom!"

Damian's voice startled her for a split second, and by the time she could react, the dagger had already deeply sliced the inside of her arm "Mother f—AGH! Son of a bitch!"

Sara unsheathed her own dagger from her thigh and attacked him, blinded by her anger, blood lust and the sting she was feeling from the deep gash that kept bleeding profusely.

They were practically a blur of movement, going back and forth across the room while Damian helped his mother away from the battle.

Talia gripped the arrow tightly, clenching her jaw, and snapped one end to be able to pull it out of her leg. Damian removed the top half of his leather armor, took off his undershirt, and quickly wrapped it around his mother's thigh.

She smiled at her son as the boy expertly applied pressure on her wounds, then turned her head to look at Sara, who had the man pinned against the wall and her bō staff pressed tightly against his throat with the weight of her body.

Before she could shout a warning to the blonde, the man quickly drew a new, shorter dagger from his waist and thrusted at Sara's left side with the remaining of his strength.

* * *

 **A/N:** Media available for this chapter. If interested, PM for details.


	16. Brave Little Bird

**Chapter 16: Brave Little Bird**

He dropped the dagger with a scream when an arrow pierced his right hand, surprising all of them.

Sara took a step back, kicking the fallen dagger away. She looked to the door where Nyssa was carefully advancing on them, her bow drawn and a dangerous look on her face "Next one goes in your eye"

The man tried to run, noticing he was clearly at a disadvantage now, but the blonde woman caught him by the throat and held him against the wall "I mean no harm to any of you" he choked out.

Sara growled and shoved him against the wall once again, harder this time, her eyes darkening "You were pretty convincing proving otherwise"

"Who are you?" Nyssa asked through gritted teeth.

"I am no one" he said, ripping the arrow out of his hand.

Two more were sent flying his way in rapid succession after he did that. The first one piercing his coat, dangerously close to his neck, and pinning him against the stone wall. The second one pierced his thigh "I do not appreciate having to repeat myself. Particularly not to someone who hurt my family. I should kill you where you stand, intruder. Who are you?"

The man glared at her before showing a half defiant smile, his white teeth stained with his own blood.

Sara let go of his throat and took a step back, the man's gesture stirring something inside her. She glanced at her fiancée, then back at the man, frowning.

He spit some blood and said with the same defiant look "I am the sacred son of the Ashkiri"

"The what now?" the blonde asked "Wait, where did I hear that before?"

Nyssa's eyes widened almost imperceptibly and she carefully lowered her bow before the man's curious gaze "Interesting" he said half smiling "Do you know who I am, then?"

"I believe I know who you are better than you do yourself at the moment…" she said raising one eyebrow "…Saracon"

"Holy shit" Sara whispered taking another step back, her hand covering her mouth.

He was visibly taken aback, his defiant half smile disappearing immediately "How do you know my name?"

"I know a whole lot more than your name" Nyssa said lowering her bow completely "Stop struggling" she instructed.

He didn't. Instead he moved his left hand up and tried, unsuccessfully, to remove the arrow from the wall to free himself.

"Stop. Struggling" she repeated more forcefully now.

"Seriously, dude, are you trying to piss her off? That won't work for anyone, you know?" Sara asked rolling her eyes. She walked to the man and looked into his eyes while taking a hold of the arrow pinning him against the wall "Don't do anything stupid. You don't wanna hurt us, we don't wanna hurt you, okay?"

His only response was a grunt and a short nod. She pulled the arrow out, twirling it in her hand before throwing it for Nyssa to catch. The brunette did and placed it back in her quiver with the others.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Saracon asked.

"What the hell are you doing, Nyssa? Are you insane?! End him!" Talia shouted standing up with great effort and stepping protectively in front of her son.

"Nyssa?" the man asked shakily. He took a careful step forward, limping, with the arrow still sticking out of his thigh "Is it really you?"

She nodded and took a few steps closer to the man "Do not move"

"Nyssa, I will kill you myself if—"

"Jesus, Talia, sense the room!" Sara shouted frustrated.

"No, it can't be" he said angrily shaking his head "You are trying to mess with my head. You can't be my sister, she wouldn't be here after what that coward Merlyn did to her. She would never… Never!"

"Sister?" Talia asked, getting another glare from Sara "Don't give me that look, I have every right to know what is going on!"

The blonde looked questioningly at her fiancée, who nodded at her. Nodding back, she moved to help Talia stand up straighter and whispered "Chill, I'll catch you up later, okay? Trust Nyssa, she knows what she's doing"

The woman reluctantly accepted Sara's help and groaned in frustration "If he tries anything again, I will kill him, regardless of who he might be"

"Fair enough, mama bear"

"Do not call me that, I will kill you, too"

"Shut up!" Saracon yelled getting everyone's attention once more.

"Saracon—" Nyssa tried again.

"NO!" he yelled, closing his eyes and using the heel of his left hand to rub his temple. His sister took a careful step closer and stopped when the man held his hand up "Do not get any closer!" he shouted angrily and started mumbling incoherently.

"Nyssa?" Sara asked starting to get worried.

Both women exchanged another look and Nyssa made a point to direct her eyes down to the right side of blonde's waist, then back into her eyes. Sara took a deep breath and nodded shortly. Not wasting any more time, she helped Talia back against the wall and kneeled in front of Damian "No matter what, stay here, you mom needs you, okay?"

The boy pursed his lips and nodded, unsheathing his sword and squaring his shoulders.

Nyssa took another step forward and a loud, animalistic growl escaped Saracon's throat and echoed around them. The bats started screeching again, wings flapping frantically, then lunged at them from every corner.

"Nyssa!" the blonde shouted rushing to her side, swinging her bō and knocking some of the bats away.

The brunette reached into her fiancée's waist while she kept the bats away and managed to grab one of her improved sonic devices. She activated it, holding it up over her their heads while covering one of her ears with her free hand.

The bats closest to them hit the floor almost immediately; the other half flew out the door in their attempt to escape the deadly noise.

Saracon fell to his knees, his hands covering his ears and his eyes tightly shut.

"You're bleeding" Sara said, noticing a trail of blood trickling down Nyssa's right ear.

"Give me the dart, Sara!" she shouted, holding her hand out.

"No way, you're not getting close to him!" instead of letting Nyssa do it, the blonde rushed to the man's side, taking a dart out of the small pouch on the right side of her waist before sticking it into his neck. He yelled angrily, jumping to his feet and shoving an open hand into her chest at the same time an arrow pierced his forearm.

His unnaturally strong shove sent the woman flying back, hitting the back of her head on the stone wall, before both of them fell unconscious.

"Sara!" the brunette gasped rushing to the woman's side. She knelt down, wrapping one arm around the blonde's waist, her other hand cradling the back of her head, and laid her down on the floor, noticing her chest rise and fall with her breathing and sighing in relief.

Talia limped to their side, stripping down of her coat, and knelt on Sara's other side. She carefully removed her sister's hand and placed the piece of clothing on the back of the blonde's head "Nyssa" she said softly. Her sister was staring at her shaking hand, her glove covered in Sara's blood "Nyssa!" she tried again more forcefully.

She looked up into her older sister's eyes and dropped her hand to her side "Yes"

"Based on what we just witnessed, that man is no regular human being. We don't know how long he will stay unconscious and we should take care of him before he wakes up" she pointed out.

"I cannot kill him, Talia"

"As much as I am aching to do so, that is not what I am suggesting, sister" she sighed softly "We need to contain him somehow"

Her younger sister pursed her lips and nodded. She looked down at Sara, debating on what to do, until Talia said softly "I can take care of her for a few minutes, go"

She nodded once, then moved angrily to the unconscious man, grabbing the back of his coat and roughly dragging him out of the room.

"Is aunt Sara alright, mother?" Damian asked in a low voice.

"She will be" Talia said softly, noticing his fear "Come here, my son"

The boy immediately moved to the other side of his aunt's body, and held his hand out when his mother requested it. The woman grabbed his wrist gently and guided his hand to Sara's throat, pressing two of his fingers against her pulse point "What do you feel?"

"Her pulse" he answered frowning at the strange question.

"Strong, is it not?" the boy nodded "Make no mistake; who you witnessed today, Damian, regardless of what she might say when she regains consciousness, was Ta-er al-Asfer" she said smiling fondly "The woman who started my training when I was six years old. Soon you will find out she is not that easy to kill, nor is your khala" she saw her son frowning and asked "What is troubling you, my boy?"

Damian licked his lips and looked back at the blonde "She doesn't like when people call her that. Why?"

"Because she is as stubborn as she is brave" Talia chuckled "It only reminds her of some terrible things she had to do and endure, and she fails to realize all the happiness being Ta-er al-Asfer brought into her life when everything was nothing but darkness"

"Like khala?"

Talia reached out and ran her fingers through his messy hair "Yes, like khala. Not only did they find happiness together, but they also saved each other"

"But you didn't really like aunt Sara before"

"That was because she hurt my sister deeply. No matter how big our differences were at the time, Nyssa is and always will be one of the most important people in my life. She is my sister, my blood, and nobody messes with my flesh and blood" she explained smiling "There was a lot I did not know before, but I know better know. She loves your khala, more than anything. So much she ended in this situation protecting all of us. She is a brave little bird, don't you think?"

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled them "Dear God, Nyssa! Do not do that! How much did you hear?"

"Enough"

"Tell anyone and it shall be your death sentence"

"I can't make such promises" Nyssa smiled and knelt down when the boy moved to stand next to his mother. She sneaked one arm under the blonde's knees, and the other one under her torso. Damian moved to help her and put Sara's arm around the brunette's neck "Thank you" she said smiling at his thoughtfulness.

The boy nodded once and went to help her mother up, guiding her out behind his aunts "Take her to the infirmary, Nyssa" Talia instructed.

The younger woman nodded once and kept walking down the corridor, until she reached a set of big, heavy doors.

Damian quickly pushed the doors open for them "Thank you, Damian" his mother said proudly.

"Is there anything else I can do, mother?"

"Just go take a seat, my boy, you already did enough. I will let you know if I need your assistance" she limped to the far wall of the room while Nyssa placed the unconscious woman carefully in one of the hospital-like beds.

The older woman turned on a generator, and the lamps hanging from the ceiling blinked into life a few seconds later "At least that still works" she focused on Nyssa and instructed "Try to wake her up, sister, we need her to be able to sit by herself. Otherwise I will have to cut a considerable portion of her hair to stitch her head and we will all pay, should it come to that"

Damian giggled softly, making the other two women smile, and moved to be able to look at what they were about to do without staying in their way.

Nyssa moved to a cupboard and started rummaging through it. She pulled several items out, placing them on the metal table next to Sara's bed. She tossed her sister a box of latex gloves after replacing her leather ones with a latex pair herself, then used some gauze to put pressure on the inside of the blonde's arm, where the deep wound was still bleeding.

She uncapped a small container, placing her hand on the back of Sara's head again, and held it to her nose. They waited for a few seconds, holding their breaths in expectation, until they saw the woman stir and grimace "Ugh, I hate that smell" she mumbled.

Nyssa smiled, her eyes filled with tears, and moved the salts away from her fiancée's nose.

"Hi" Sara said softly, looking up at her, inciting a soft, watery chuckle from the brunette "No, don't cry"

The other woman shook her head and used her arm to wipe away the tears.

The blonde gasped at the sight and tried to sit by herself "You're covered in blood Nyssa!"

She chuckled again and helped her sit upright "Not mine, beloved, it is yours"

"Oh" she winced "Well, that sucks"

"Indeed"

"Sara…" Talia started limping toward them "…I will tend to the wound on your head while Nyssa works on your arm. Is that alright?"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Most definitely"

She shrugged "Knock yourself out"

The woman nodded curtly and put the gloves on. She leaned down to say something to her son before limping to the other side of the bed, sitting behind the blonde.

"Oh, by the way…" Sara held her right hand up "…if you cut my hair, I'll seriously hurt you"

Talia shook her head "If you wish to save your precious hair, then maybe next time avoid getting thrown head first into a wall"

The blonde groaned and rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else, silently admitting defeat.

Damian approached his mother with a bowl full of clear water and some more gauze, which she took carefully and placed next to the blonde's body. She dipped the gauze in the water and started cleaning the back of Sara's head, trying to get rid of some of the dry blood to be able to work on the wound.

"I feel high"

Nyssa looked up into her eyes and brushed some hair away from the blonde's face "You lost a significant amount of blood, beloved"

"Yeah…" she looked down at her feet, then back at the woman in front of her "...it's not as fun as getting high with you, though, hottie"

The brunette smiled and shook her head, going back to cleaning and disinfecting her arm and a small, minor cut on her forehead "Damian is here"

"Where?" she asked looking around.

"Here" the boy said giggling from her right.

"Oh! Hey, buddy!" she reached out and the boy took her hand, patting it softly as if she was crazy.

"My God, she really is high" Talia said while separating strands of bloody blonde hair.

"Believe me, sister, this is nothing"

"I have to admit: I am slightly curious"

"No, you are not" Nyssa said shaking her head. She discarded the small pile of bloody gauze and used a syringe on a small glass vial, emptying the contents.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Your arm needs several stitches and I will not stitch you up without a numbing agent if I can help it, Sara"

"Okay" she said stretching the word as her fiancée applied the anesthesia. She tilted her head back slightly "Whatcha doin' back there? Ow!" she pouted when Talia smacked the side of her head.

"Do not move!" she commanded.

"Well then tell me whatcha doin'! 'Cause it feels a lot like you're braiding my hair while I'm bleeding to death here!"

"You are not bleeding to death, beloved. Do not joke about it or take it lightly, when you know from experience how it feels like when one is literally bleeding to death"

Sara huffed and looked at her arm as Nyssa started carefully stitching it "Sorry. But I swear it feels like she is braiding my hair"

"That is exactly what I am doing, Sara"

"I knew it!" she said triumphantly "Wait, why?"

Talia sighed tiredly "I am using your own hair to close the wound. If I manage to braid your hair tightly enough, and you do not touch it, it shall work as effectively as stitches would"

"Huh, interesting…" the blonde said thoughtfully "...that's actually pretty smart" she got smacked again, which made Nyssa have to stifle a laugh "Hey!"

"Do not question my intelligence"

"I didn't!"

"Acting surprised by the cleverness of my actions did" the woman explained "I know exactly what I'm doing, Sara. I have done this for Nyssa countless times during her teenage years"

"Cool" she glanced down at her fiancée "Where you high, too?"

"No, and neither are you right now, beloved"

"Sure feels like it" she waited in silence as Talia finished braiding her hair and examined her work "Hey, what happened to the bat whisperer?"

Nyssa looked at her in confusion, while Talia laughed and walked around the bed. She moved to the adjacent one and sat down "She meant Saracon" she explained to her still confused sister, carefully removing Damian's shirt from around her thigh before answering the blonde's question "Nyssa took care of him"

"Oh my God! Did you kill him?!"

"Of course not, Sara" Nyssa answered calmly "He is locked in a cell downstairs, for his own good"

"Oh. Okay. Sorry 'bout that"

The brunette glanced up with a half smile as she finished patching her stitched arm. Sara reached down and held the woman's chin in one hand, leaning slightly down to kiss her fully on the lips "Thank you"

"You are very welcome" she rolled her chair to the other bed and looked up at her sister, discarding her dirty latex gloves and replacing them with new ones "Can you undress or do you need help?"

"I can take care of my wounds myself, Nyssa" she protested trying to dismiss her.

"I know" her younger sister nodded "But it doesn't mean you have to. Please, Talia, allow me"

The woman sighed frustrated and rolled her eyes "Alright, but don't expect a thank you kiss from me"

"Gross!" Sara said, lying back down with Damian's help. The boy shivered closing his eyes, but didn't say anything, which made the blonde giggle conspiratorially with him.

Both sisters decided to ignore them for the moment, as Talia ripped off the torn left leg of her linen pants, exposing her blood stained leg "I need to check your ear after. It looks like a ruptured eardrum"

"That would be because it is. You can look at it later, but there is not much you or anyone can do. It needs time to heal" she answered, then leaned in closer, examining the wound carefully. She nodded to herself and turned to her nephew "Damian, could you get me a bowl of clean water, please?"

He jumped to his feet and nodded once before busying himself with the task "Ain't you a helpful tiny assassin" the blonde woman giggled looking at his back as he walked to the sink.

Talia looked at her raising one eyebrow, then at her sister again, who barely shook her head and smiled "No need to even try to figure out the way her brain works. It is, to this day, one of the greatest mysteries on earth"

"Heard that"

"I was not whispering, beloved"

"Well, whatever! I have ADHD, not like I can help it, you know?"

"You do not" Nyssa countered "You have the attention span of a gerbil on cocaine, but you do not have ADHD"

"And how would you know?"

The brunette turned her chair around and looked at her fiancée with one eyebrow raised "I live with you, Sara. I deal with your short attention span on a daily basis, but I can assure you: that is not ADHD" she turned back around, taking the bowl from Damian's hand "Plus, I asked your father and sister"

"Those fucking traitors"

"Language" this time the warning came from Talia, who tried not to smile when she noticed her son hiding his smirk.

"Sorry" she mumbled incoherently for a few seconds, then fell completely silent.

"Thank God" Talia whispered when they heard the constant, rhythmical breathing of a sleeping Sara "How on earth do you survive that every day with your sanity intact?"

Nyssa grinned, cleaning and patching the front wound, then motioned for her sister to lay on her stomach so she could work on the back of her leg "She surprises me every single day with something new. She is everything I am not, which makes her exactly what I need" she paused smiling, glancing at the sleeping, exhausted blonde "That blonde gerbil on cocaine is the very definition of perfect in my eyes, Talia"


	17. Quit Being So Fucking Stupid

**Chapter 17: Quit Being So Fucking Stupid**

"Saracon, please" Nyssa sighed tiredly and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the bars of the cell.

The man sitting against the wall completely ignored her in favor of staring at the opposite wall.

"I can tend to your wounds, allow me" she tried one more time.

Still silence.

Sara sighed and pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on behind the brunette woman "Well, now we know stubbornness runs on your mom's side" she pointed out smirking "Are you ready to do things my way? It's been like an hour and I would like to go get a shower sometime soon"

Nyssa sighed defeated and moved away from the cell "Go ahead"

"Thank you" she rested her right shoulder on the bars and looked at the man, her arms crossed "Not that I'm looking forward to letting you out or let her in to help you after you **fucking knocked me out** …" she shouted those words "...but you are still bleeding and cleaning that floor will be a pain in the ass" she turned her head to look at Nyssa "I'm not cleaning it, by the way, he's **your** brother"

The brunette smiled sadly and Sara mouthed the word 'relax' with a wink.

She turned back to the man inside the cell "Oh, by the way, speaking of weird family members: your mom's alive"

His head snapped in her direction, but he remained completely silent.

"Well, at least now we know you're not deaf after the Canary Cry" she smirked and raised one eyebrow "You did hear me, right?"

"That's impossible" he said stoically.

"Nothing really is, trust me"

"My mother died in front of me"

"Death tends not to stick when I'm around" she said shrugging "Look, bat-freak, you can stay there and bleed out, or you can let us help you. It's your choice. I'm just saying, Lourdes is gonna be pissed if we let you die"

He jumped to his feet and rushed to the gate growling, grabbing the bars tightly "Keep my mother's name out of your filthy mouth!"

"Oh, you have no idea how filthy this mouth can get" the blonde smirked and took a step back "Lourdes, Lourdes, Lourdes, Lourdes, Lourdes. Whatcha gonna do, anyway? You are locked in a cell 'cause you are too stubborn to let your sister help you"

"She is not my sister!" he shouted angrily, pointing at the brunette.

"Yes, she is, dumbass" Sara stated annoyed and frustrated, rolling her eyes "What's gonna take for you to believe us?"

"Proof. I want to see my mother with my own eyes"

"Fair enough" she shrugged and reached inside her coat pocket for her cellphone "Will you quit being so fucking stupid in the meantime?"

The man scoffed indignantly but nodded anyway.

"What are you doing?" Nyssa asked when the woman started typing on her phone.

"Getting your mom here"

"Sara, any flight will take longer than it would take him to bleed out"

The blonde smirked and looked at her "Relax, I know some people. Give him some gauze and disinfectant to at least slow it down"

"What people?"

"Nyssa, focus" she said sternly "Stop his bleeding first"

The brunette huffed, but reached inside the first aid kit to hand her brother some disinfectant and a large amount of gauze. She looked at his pierced hand and arm frowning "You need stitches"

Saracon shook his head accepting the items and sat down on the cold stone floor again to clean his wounds "I have accelerated healing. It should stop bleeding soon"

"Then you're cleaning the floor" Sara stated pocketing her phone.

The man looked up curiously and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly before he shook his head and focused on bandaging his hand.

"They'll be here in four hours; give or take a few minutes, dependending on how long it takes them to find Lourdes"

"Sara, who are your bringing to Nanda Parbat?" the brunette asked frowning disapprovingly.

"Pft! Don't worry, they've all been here before"

* * *

"It's so good to see you again, Nyssa. You look good; as scary and beautiful as ever"

The woman smirked over her mother's shoulder while hugging her "Says the man with the A.T.O.M. suit"

"Ah, but you are still deadlier than I could ever be!" Ray chuckled.

"I believe it is your friendly demeanor" she observed, as Lourdes stepped away from the hug, watching them interact.

He agreed with a huge, goofy grin, and she couldn't help but grin back "You look happy, this whole smiling thing suits you. I don't think I've ever seen you smile before"

Nyssa turned to look at Sara, who was hugging a woman she didn't recognize "I have a reason to smile now"

The blonde let go of the woman she was hugging and glanced at her fiancée, who was looking back at her. Nyssa raised one eyebrow questioningly, adding a half smirk.

Sara smirked back and shook her head, then moved to hug the tall man standing next to them. She laughed at something he said and punched his arm, taking a step back.

"Babe…" she walked to her fiancée and stood next to her, placing a hand on her lower back "...these are Amaya and Nate" she introduced them, then addressed her friends "Guys, this is Nyssa"

The woman, Amaya, reached out and shook her hand, smiling politely "Pleased to meet you"

"Likewise"

Nate reached out after Amaya and shook Nyssa's hand smiling "Hi, nice to meet you, Nyssa. It's good to finally see you live"

The former assassin frowned confused after shaking his hand "Beg your pardon?"

He stood back grinning, shoving his hands inside his pockets and shrugged "Sara would stare at your pictures for **hours**. So we all kinda knew who you were"

Nyssa turned to look at the blonde arching one eyebrow.

"What?" Sara asked shrugging "I told you, I've missed you"

"A lot" Ray added smiling "It was pretty adorable"

The brunette smiled at him before focusing on Sara again "You were not supposed to show people my pictures, beloved"

"Not **those** pictures, Nyssa! Jeez!"

The woman rubbed her forehead and sighed, then said embarrassingly in a low voice "I was not referring to those. We agreed to never mention that again"

"Oh... Um, guess I should let you know I never really deleted 'em…?" the blonde whispered back.

"Please, Sara, I knew from the beginning you were lying. You never intended to do it, we both know that" she cleared her throat and stood up straighter "What I meant was that my identity was supposed to be highly classified"

"Well, I missed you. Sue me"

"Um, sorry to interrupt…" Ray said taking a step forward "...but wasn't there a reason for us to bring Mrs. Raatko here? I mean, other than traumatizing her with allusions of what are obviously nudes of her daughter"

"Oh my God, Ray!"

The man held his hands up "Just saying!"

"Don't, you huge dork!" Sara glared at him.

"I think it's better if you take your mother away from this whole thing" Amaya suggested looking at Nyssa, but pointing at Sara, Ray and a laughing Nate.

"Yes, yes it is" Nyssa responded and looked at her mother "Are you ready to see him?"

"I've been ready for over a year, dear" Lourdes smiled sadly "Lead the way"

"I'll give the three of you some space" Sara said looking at her fiancée "Call me if you need me, okay?"

"Of course" the brunette nodded smiling, then addressed the rest of the group "Thank you for being here in such short notice. Please, feel at home and make yourselves comfortable. We have plenty of available chambers for you to occupy and rest; I'm positive Sara is eager to show you around"

"Go, babe, I've got this"

* * *

"Impossible" Saracon whispered to himself as he stood up "What kind of sorcery is this?" he asked looking at Nyssa.

"No sorcery, my son, I'm alive and well" Lourdes answered smiling sadly.

"How? Mother, I saw you die"

"That is a story for another moment, dear. I am alive, I've been looking for you for the past year"

"I cannot believe this" the man took a few steps closer to the gate and reached out, a few tears running down his cheeks.

His mother took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly "They told me what happened, Saracon. Why wouldn't you believe them? You should have let them help you sooner"

"I came here looking for that scum and found them, instead. I assumed they were his assassins, mother. He is Ra's al Ghul now, after all. Their abilities…" he frowned and shook his head "...all three of them, they are extraordinary"

Nyssa smirked when Lourdes looked at her and took a step forward "I can assure you, I do not take orders from the usurper, or anyone else, for that matter"

"Except Sara" her mother added with a smirk of her own.

"Not without a fight"

"That's my baby" the woman laughed and caressed her daughter's cheek. She turned to look at the man again "I know you are not well; the power surging through you must be too much at times and your memories can get distorted. But I know you remember Nyssa. You have to. She is your little sister, Saracon"

He looked at the younger woman in the eye for a long minute. She held his gaze, hoping it would help him find his sister, his friend, in her eyes "Nyssa?"

"Yes, brother" she nodded, smiling softly.

"But…" he shook his head and looked at his mother "...Nyssa never knew, mother. We weren't allowed to tell her. The League might still kill her if they find out, we must protect her"

"There is no League anymore, my boy" Lourdes patted his hand when his expression changed to a confused one "Nyssa and her friends, they finally confronted Merlyn a few months ago and she took her rightful place as Ra's al Ghul"

"So you are Ra's al Ghul now? Not that traitor?" Saracon asked, looking at his sister.

Nyssa shook her head "As mother told you, there is no more League. I witnessed and suffered the destruction my father's League caused from the outside. He had lost his mind, caring for nothing and no one but himself and his League of Assassins"

"Did he hurt you?" he asked clenching his jaw and growling.

"Not in a way you should worry about" she shook her head again "I disbanded the League, brother. No innocent shall suffer because of its ways anymore, and, as I once assured a friend: no one will be held prisoner by my father any longer"

"And Merlyn? Is he dead?"

"We believe he went into hiding" she motioned for her mother to take a step back and carefully unlocked the gate, leaving it open.

The man gave her a short nod and took a careful step forward "Merlyn is mine" he announced.

Nyssa snorted "You will have to get in line, brother. The list of people wanting revenge is quite long. So far, Sara is at the top of said list. I am a close second"

"The little, mouthy, blonde one?"

"Yes" she reached for his hand carefully, and the man let her examine his wound.

"Why?"

"He killed her"

"Oh" he frowned "How—"

"The pit"

"But the one here is destroyed"

"That was my doing" she explained removing the improvised bandages on his hand, arm and leg "I would rather see it destroyed than in the wrong hands"

Lourdes smiled proudly, and so did Saracon "Thank you for protecting the waters of my Gods, sister"

"Follow me" she instructed, walking down the long corridor "I did it because of what the waters did to Sara"

Her mother and brother started following her as she lead them to the infirmary at a slow pace "How long was she dead before she got resurrected?"

"A year" she answered pushing the doors open.

"A year?!" Saracon asked alarmed "That was incredibly dangerous!"

"It was. Sit down" she instructed signaling one of the beds "What it did to Sara…" she shook her head "...no one should be brought back to become that"

"She seems mostly alright now" Saracon observed feeling his split lip with his tongue.

"That is another very long story" Nyssa said sitting down in front of him with a first aid kit "But yes, she got her soul back"

"Who got her soul back?" the blonde in question asked entering the infirmary. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Saracon in the eye, holding her hand up "We cool?"

The corner of his mouth twitched up in amusement and he nodded "Yes"

"Nyssa was telling Saracon about your resurrection and why is it that you lead the the list of people wanting to kill Malcolm Merlyn" Lourdes explained, taking a seat by the window.

"Oh, yeah, I have dibs for eternity; and totally got my soul back" she nodded and moved to sit on the other bed.

"Can I at least come second on that list?" the man asked, making his sister smile as she patched his wounded leg and moved to clean and disinfect his arm.

"Why should you?" Sara asked sitting on the opposite bed.

"Well, biologically, I am his son"

The woman snorted "You are in for some exciting couple of days if you think **that** makes you special and second in line" he was about to say something, but she kept talking, tilting her head to the side and swinging her legs casually back and forth "So, what's the deal with the bats?"

He tried to hide an amused smile before saying "I can communicate with other species"

"Seriously?" she asked in disbelief, looking first at Nyssa, then at Lourdes. They both nodded, and she focused on the man again "How?"

"I got bit by snow leopards shortly after Saracon was conceived" Lourdes explained.

"It was a gift from the Gods" the man added proudly "When I was three I could already control the League's horses"

Nyssa smiled fondly and glanced up at him while applying the final bandage to his hand "He was able to control birds by the time he was seven years old" she got up and moved to stand next to her fiancée, smiling at her "I would be careful if I were you"

Sara laughed and shook her head "Like anyone could control me"

Nyssa smiled and stared at her brother again to warn him "This bird is off limits"

He looked at her frowning "Bird?"

"Ta-er al-Asfer was my league name" the blonde explained smiling.

Saracon smiled softly and nodded his understanding "The canary. Pretty; it suits you"

Lourdes chuckled almost in disbelief and Nyssa arched one eyebrow, looking at him again "Off limits, Saracon" she repeated sitting next to the blonde, her voice cold and menacing.

He frowned confused "Wha—" then noticed the way Sara's hand was casually moving up and down his sister's thigh "Oh… Oh! Got it!"

Sara chuckled and and moved a hand to Nyssa's cheek, turning her head to kiss her softly "It's really hot when you get all possessive" she whispered against her lips.

"Um, I heard that" the man said blushing slightly "Not that I tried!" he added in a rush when his sister glared at him "My senses got... enhanced last year. I'm pointing it out because I wouldn't want to intrude in the future"

"Then you might wanna sleep far, far away from our chambers tonight, bat whisperer" the blonde suggested smirking, while Nyssa blushed and Lourdes laughed again.

He smiled and nodded "Thanks for the head's up"

Sara shrugged "Thought it would fair to warn you, since you are not familiar with… everything yet"

"Sara, please? My mother is here, too" Nyssa pleaded and her fiancée shrugged again.

"You do realize she is my little sister, don't you?" the man asked half smiling and raising one eyebrow.

"Stop it. You and Nyssa have extremely similar expressions and it's freaking me out" she shook her head "You also have the same 'I'm gonna kill you' crazy look"

"Crazy look?" both siblings asked at the same time, and the blonde had to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, last night, with the glare and bloody smile" she explained "I've seen Nyssa do that before and I've seen her in you just then"

"I do not have a 'crazy look', beloved, don't be ridiculous" the brunette woman stated frowning.

"Um, yeah, you do. And it's scary as hell" Sara said nodding "Hot as hell too, you know, if one's not on the dying end of your arrows" she explained.

"Again" Saracon said "You do realize she is my little sister, who I just got back after over twenty years, don't you?"

"Look, dude, if we're gonna be cool, you're gonna have to get used to me saying this kinda crap. I'm marrying your little sister, so get over it and just be happy she has a healthy sex life. You're not gonna survive a week around us if you don't"

"You are getting married?" Lourdes asked looking at them with a big smile on her face.

Sara flinched when her fiancée glared at her "Sorry!" she whispered.

Nyssa chuckled and kissed her softly, unable to resist her expression, then turned to address her mother "We are to wed, yes"

Saracon looked at Sara as his mother got up to hug both women "Do I need to have the big brother talk with you?"

"If you're gonna tell me you'll kill me if I hurt her, save it. We already know I can kick your ass" she said smiling over Lourdes' shoulder.

He chuckled and looked at his sister again "For what is worth, I like her"

Lourdes laughed and moved back to her chair "I do, too"

"Of course you do! I'm a delight!"

"Far from it, actually" Nyssa objected, trying not to smile when she heard her fiancée gasp indignantly.


	18. The Fall of Nanda Parbat

**Chapter 18: The Fall of Nanda Parbat**

"It is not safe"

"We have been discussing this topic for over an hour and not once did I say it was"

"I honestly fail to understand why would you expose yourself to that"

"He is my brother, Talia"

"So?" the woman asked exasperatedly, resuming her pacing; her limp still noticeable "He is highly unstable. That mere fact poses a threat. To you, to your beloved, and to anyone who gets close to him. Need I remind you my son is here?"

Nyssa stood up from her seat and placed her hands on the wooden table, leaning forward and staring at her older sister "Do you truly believe I would let anything happen to Damian?"

Talia stopped pacing and faced her, hands folded behind her back, a posture that made her resemble their father whenever he stood in this very room "No. What I am stating, sister, is that he is an unnecessary, life threatening risk to all of us"

"I will not cast him aside when I am positive I can help him" Nyssa said, her tone bordering on angry "I recall a time when **you** , blinded by your ambition, posed a threat to all of us"

Her older sister glared at her and stood firmly at the other end of the long table "Is this how you wish to play this, Nyssa?"

"I did not cast you aside then, did I?"

"You were a child; you should have, just like father did"

"I was old enough to understand the situation and see the error of his ways. You are my sister, Talia, I could never do that to you. Just as I cannot do it to Saracon"

The other woman sighed and looked down at the table "You always had the most noble heart. It is a miracle you survived this long in the League"

"I am an outstanding warrior" Nyssa said playfully.

Talia looked up into her sister's eyes, the hint of a smile on her lips "That, you are"

"He needs my help, sister"

"I know" the woman admitted defeated.

"And I need my sister in my life" she smiled when the older woman's head snapped up in surprise at the confession "I am not ready to lose you again"

"Nyssa, you never will" Talia said truthfully "We are aware of the reasons that kept us apart for so long. I do not wish for that to happen again" she sighed and took a moment to gather her thoughts "I cannot honestly say that I am, or ever will be, comfortable with the idea of Damian being around Saracon. Not without my supervision while he is so young"

"I understand"

"However, I shall not be the reason you neglect your brother when he needs you"

"I appreciate that"

"I hope you can understand that means I cannot stay here long; nor can Damian and I share a flight with the man while he is so unstable"

Nyssa nodded "Of course. Not only do I understand, but Sara and I agree with you. We already discussed it. You and I should take care of everything we came here to do. As soon as it is settled, you and Damian shall take your jet back to Gotham. Dr. Palmer offered to take us to Star City"

"On that god forsaken ship?" she asked alarmed, making her sister laugh.

"I have been thoroughly assured it is safe, sister"

"I do not trust that infernal machine" Talia mumbled and reached for her glasses, putting them back on and sitting down again "But I do trust your little bird, if she assures you it is, indeed, safe. Even more so after yesterday"

Nyssa smiled and sat back down, reaching for her tablet to go through some of the blueprints Felicity had sent her, while her sister started typing on her phone.

"She was impressed with your performance" the younger woman pointed out.

"Technically, I was an assassin decades before she was even born, so she shouldn't be"

"True. It is quite hard to believe you are sixty-four years old, sister. You don't look a day older thirty-five"

"Ah, the benefits of a personal Lazarus Pit" Talia chuckled, then stopped and glared at her "If you tell anyone my real age, I shall fill your bed with spiders"

Her younger sister gasped and narrowed her eyes at her "You would never..."

"Do not test me, Nyssa"

* * *

Sara took a step forward to stand behind Nyssa and Talia "You are both sure this is what you want to do, right? Like, super sure?"

"You have been to the future, little bird…" Talia said turning her head slightly to address the woman "...tell me, is this what we decided to do in that future?"

The blonde shifted uncomfortably and held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun "I can't really tell you that"

"And why would that be?"

Nate, who had Damian perched on his shoulders so the boy would be able to see, moved to stand next to Sara "Because if she does, she will be influencing your decision with catastrophic results"

"Whatever happens, should come from you" Amaya added standing on Sara's other side.

Nyssa lifted her sunglasses and looked at her sister "Is this what you want?"

"Yes" her older sister said after a few moments of consideration "Yes. We discussed it. This is our best course of action"

"Once we give them the order to proceed, there is no turning back, sister" she explained with a concerned frown "If you do not feel comfortable with it, then—"

"I want this place out of my life once and for all. What it represents already cost me almost everything I hold dear in this world. I do not wish for it to jeopardize whatever might be in store for me or Damian in the future" Talia interrupted her, turning her head to look at the massive structure again "Is this what you wish to do, Nyssa?"

The younger brunette turned her head to look at her fiancée. Sara smiled softly and reached forward to rub her back "Yes" she responded undoubtedly "I will always have the memories—good and bad—that were made here. It is time to move on. I shall never forgive myself if it ends up in the wrong hands again. I'd rather see it destroyed"

"Good" Talia nodded "Then they shall proceed" she turned to address the woman who had piloted the helicopter when they arrived four days ago "Zinda, please inform Dr. Palmer we are ready"

The woman nodded and lifted a radio to her lips, doing as instructed.

Amaya braced herself. Saracon wrapped one arm around his mother's shoulders. Nate tightened his hold on Damian's legs. The boy readjusted his Rockets hat. Sara moved to wrap her arms around Nyssa's waist from behind and pressed her lips to her shoulder. Talia stood straighter, stoically. Nyssa placed her left hand over Sara's and took a deep breath, lowering her sunglasses again.

The ground shook and grumbled, the sound echoing everywhere around them. Both sisters reached for each other's hand at the same time, holding on for dear life as they watched the visible part of the structure collapse on itself.

It took the ancient building close to a minute to resemble a forgotten ruin embedded in a remote part of the Hindu Kush.

Once the dust finally started to settle and the ground stopped shaking, both sisters dared to look at each other in silence.

"That was so cool!" Damian shouted, startling everyone and high-fiving Nate when the man held his hand up for him.

Nyssa was the first one to laugh, followed immediately by Sara and Talia. The rest of the group joining them after.

The blonde wrapped her arms tighter around her fiancée and placed another soft kiss on her bare shoulder "You okay?"

Nyssa glanced at the imploded building and smiled softly "I am"

"Well, sister…" Talia smiled, holding her sister's hand with both of hers and patting it lightly "...we are finally free of this place"

* * *

"I fail to see the need for this"

"Babe, don't be a stubborn pain in my ass right now"

"Excuse me?" Nyssa said indignantly, resting her hands on her hips and glaring at Sara.

"This is gonna be torture for you if you don't let us help"

"I can assure you, I am perfectly fine, beloved"

"At the risk of getting decapitated, I have to agree with Sara, Nyssa" Ray said folding his arms "You have a ruptured eardrum. This will be no regular flight. The pressure will be too much"

The brunette woman snorted and folded her arms "Lucky for you, Dr. Palmer, my decapitation days are behind me"

"Lucky me" he mumbled and moved to a panel on the wall to check some data.

Sara took a step closer to the other woman and pointed to one of the chairs of the Med Bay "Nyssa, get your ass there and let Gideon fix your ear"

"I will not do such thing"

"I will knock you out and drag you there myself, I swear" the blonde threatened clenching her jaw.

"You are more than welcome to try" her fiancée smirked "I remember how your last attempt to attack me ended"

Sara gasped in surprise and closed her mouth, her sudden silence intriguing Ray who turned around to look at them "How—"

"No" the blonde warned him holding her hand up "Don't finish that question"

"Okay" he prolonged the word and turned back to the panel.

"You are leaving me no choice here" Sara sighed and shook her head.

"Do what you have to, beloved"

She pointed a finger at her fiancée and narrowed her eyes "Remember you asked for it" then, without another word, Sara turned around and stormed out of the Med Bay, sliding her hand down the reader to close the door behind her.

"Can I ask why don't you want Gideon to fix your ear?" Ray asked once the two of them were alone.

Nyssa started walking around the room examining the equipment and cabinets with great interest "I heal on my own terms, Dr. Palmer—"

"Please, call me Ray"

"As you wish, Ray" she agreed with a short nod "As I was saying, I come from a radically different culture. I was raised a warrior, a not trusting one, at that. I heal on my own terms, by my own means. While I am highly impressed with the outstanding advances in modern technology and science, I still wish to treat my body the way I always have"

Ray turned around and leaned back against the wall "Even if it takes forever? I mean, Gideon can literally fix your ear in a minute" he explained fascinated "A minute, Nyssa" then he smiled that goofy smile of his, getting excited about the subject "How long would it take for your eardrum to heal on its own? Will you recover your full hearing once it does? Will the pressure from the flight cause permanent damage? Those questions, in modern medicine, are still practically unanswered. I can **guarantee** your ear would be fixed in sixty seconds, tops. You will recover full hearing, and the pressure won't affect you more than it will affect the rest of us. You won't feel a thing and you will be able to move around and let Sara show you the Waverider during the flight, which we both know she is dying to do, instead of having to lay down, crying in pain"

"I do not 'cry in pain', Ray" she stated narrowing her eyes.

"Okay, you don't cry in pain, but you still feel it"

"Pain is nothing but a nuisance to us League trained"

"But you still feel it" he repeated with a smile.

"Yes" she conceded.

"You can avoid it altogether if you let us help you"

Before she could say anything else, the door slid open and a smirking Sara walked back into the Med Bay.

The reason behind the smirk came two seconds later, in the form of a very pissed Lourdes.

"What is this nonsense about you not letting Sara and Ray help you?" the woman asked standing in front of her daughter; hands on her hips, right foot tapping the floor impatiently.

"You went to tell my mother?!" Nyssa asked in disbelief, staring at her still smirking fiancée.

The blonde shrugged "I told you, you left me no choice. I had to pull out the big guns"

"I am not a five year old, Sara"

"Well, you were sure acting like one"

"Stop ignoring me, Nyssa" Lourdes said threateningly "What do you think you are doing?"

"Being scolded by my mother, apparently"

"You will sit down there, and you will behave while they help you" the woman said pointing to the chair.

"But—"

"I am not asking, Nyssa"

"I can't believe you told my mother" the younger brunette repeated, glaring at a very amused Sara.

"I'm not leaving this room until you do as I say" Lourdes stated, glaring threateningly at her daughter "And you better hurry, because I don't have all day"

"I cannot believe this" Nyssa said stubbornly and folded her arms, standing her ground.

"Thirty-one years old and she gives me the same stubborn attitude she used to give me when she was seven and tried to sneak stray kittens into her chambers" Lourdes mumbled to herself shaking her head "Unbelievable"

Mother and daughter stared defiantly into each other's eyes for a few very long, very silent, very tense minutes; until Nyssa flinched, almost imperceptibly, and her eyes averted her mother's for a split second. Enough for the older woman to half smile satisfied and point at the chair again "Now, Nyssa"

Groaning loudly and almost stomping like a child, her daughter moved to sit down and glared at her fiancée "You shall pay for this, Ta-er al-Asfer"

"So, I'm Ta-er al-Asfer again?" the blonde asked amused "What happened to 'Sara'? Or 'beloved', for that matter?"

"This is war"

Sara chuckled and got down on one knee in front of the other woman, bowing her head respectfully "As you wish, Ra's al Ghul. I shall accept and endure whatever punishment you deem appropriate for my betrayal"

Nyssa snorted trying not to laugh, and reached out with her foot to nudge the blonde's leg "Get up, you kneel before no one, beloved"

The blonde jumped to her feet and grinned at the other woman, cupping her face with one hand and leaning down to kiss her softly "Sometimes I do kneel before you" she whispered suggestively.

Her fiancée chuckled and nodded arching one eyebrow before whispering back "Maybe that shall be your punishment"

"You should punish me more often, then"

"Okay, Nyssa, we're gonna need to take a tissue sample, since we don't have yours yet" Ray said walking to them, completely oblivious to the conversation he was interrupting.

"Go ahead" the woman nodded.

Lourdes, satisfied with the result of her stare down with her daughter, smiled at them and left the Med Bay so they could do what they needed without distractions.

Ray unmounted a tablet from the wall and stared at it "Sara, do you want to do the honors?"

"Sure" the blonde shrugged and reached for the small gun-like instrument that was lying on a table next to Nyssa "Not the first time I'm gonna poke her"

The brunette woman rolled her eyes, which made Sara laugh. Ray looked at them confused "What?" he asked, obviously focused on what he was doing and not on the two women. It gave Nyssa some sort of relief; at least someone seemed to know what they were doing.

"Nothing, Ray. Do your thing, I've got this" Sara placed the end of the device on Nyssa's shoulder and pulled the small trigger, holding it steady for a few seconds, then releasing the trigger and moving it away.

She removed a miniature test tube from the device and tapped a few commands on a panel to her left. A small hatch door opened beside that panel, and she introduced the test tube in the next free slot "Gideon?"

" _Yes, Ms. Lance?"_

"Please, label that new sample Nyssa Raatko"

" _Right away"_

"So, **that** is Gideon" Nyssa observed.

"Yes" her fiancée smiled, using a piece of cotton to rub some alcohol on her shoulder before placing a bandaid where she had just 'poked' the other woman.

" _Stored and labeled. Anything else, Ms. Lance?"_

"Yes, can you start processing that sample, please? Nyssa ruptured her eardrum, we need to repair it"

" _Of course"_

Sara leaned back against the other chair and looked at the other woman, who was staring at her with a half smirk and one eyebrow arched "What?"

"Nothing, beloved. This is all very new to me; I have never seen you this way"

The blonde smiled and shrugged "It doesn't freak you out, does it?"

"Not at all, I trust you implicitly"

"Plus, Sara was a nurse. A couple times, actually" Ray added smiling to himself, still focused on his tablet.

"You were a nurse?" Nyssa asked, both eyebrows raised now and biting her lip.

It was the blonde's turn to half smirk and arch one eyebrow "You know it wasn't for real, right?"

"Was the outfit 'for real'?" the brunette asked and Sara chuckled in disbelief.

"Very"

"Do you still have it?"

The blonde gaped and silently thanked whatever deity was keeping Ray so busy he wasn't really registering the conversation around him "Should be around here somewhere, want me to look for it?"

"Would you?"

"Sure. Wanna play doctor?"

Nyssa smirked and licked her lips, then switched to Arabic before responding "I do wish to play with the nurse"

Sara gulped and nodded, making a mental note to **thoroughly** show Nyssa her bedroom later.

" _We are ready for the intervention, Ms. Lance"_ she had to admit Gideon's timing was impeccable.

"Thank you, Gideon" she moved to her fiancée again and brushed a strand of hair away from her face "You ready?"

"Yes, beloved"

The blonde smiled and kissed her softly "Lay down" she instructed.

Nyssa did, and soon enough, Ray was holding the timer on his tablet in front of her face, making her laugh.

" _Try to hold still, Ms. Raatko"_ Gideon instructed, and a small wand with laser-looking features moved to her right ear.

The man made the timer start running backwards, still holding the tablet for Nyssa to see. By the time it flashed the number eight, the wand moved back and Ray paused it.

" _Ms. Raatko's eardrum is now fully repaired. I took the liberty to also repair a considerable scar from some previous damage"_ Gideon announced.

"Thank you, Gideon" Ray said grinning proudly.

" _You're welcome, Dr. Palmer"_

"Fifty-two seconds" the man said, straightening up Nyssa's chair "How do you feel?"

"The only thing hurting at the moment is my pride"

Ray laughed and mounted the tablet back on the wall "And how do you feel about modern and future technology now?"

"I shall not be opposed to its use, as long as it is justified for a good cause"

"Huh" Sara frowned looking at Ray.

"What is it, beloved?"

"Nothing" she said smiling and shaking her head "You feeling okay?"

Nyssa moved to stand up carefully "Yes"

"You're not gonna puke, are you? 'cause Nate did that time Gideon fixed his ear just like that"

"I was dizzy!" they turned to the door to find the man standing there, one hand rubbing the back of his neck "Feeling better?" he asked looking at Nyssa.

"Much"

"Good" he said smiling "Do you think you can help me with something?" he asked, pointing out the door "Lourdes suggested I should come find you, since all those books we loaded before are yours"

"Of course" she agreed taking a few tentative steps under Sara's careful watch. Satisfied with the result, she nodded at her fiancée and followed the man out.

"Told you I could get her to agree to use future technology" Ray grinned and held his left hand out, palm up and beckoning the blonde with his fingers "Pay up, Lance"

"Technically, I did it" Sara corrected him "I was the one who unleashed Lourdes on her ass"

"Ah, yes, but…" he held his right index finger up "...my previous speech made that easier. And besides, we made this bet years ago, the point wasn't to get her to agree to use it now; we didn't even know she was gonna need it. It was to get her to agree to use it once you decided to bring it up" his grin got even bigger "Now we know she's open to it" he repeated.

Sara smirked and reached for her wallet, taking out a twenty and shoving it in his hand "Unfortunate choice of words, Ray"

The man frowned in confusion "Oh! No, not what I meant!" he blushed and shook his head, making the woman laugh "You still have it, right?"

"Yeah, I left it in my room last time" she said smiling and reached inside a hidden pocket in her jacket "Took a little detour and grabbed it when I went to find Lourdes" she held a small metal case with the words 'SMOAK Technologies' engraved on it, and her smile widened "Time to take this home"


	19. Aye Aye, Captain

**Chapter 19: Aye Aye, Captain**

"Time's up, nerds!" Sara shouted as she entered the main deck and walked closer to the group gathered around Gideon's projection. She finished braiding the left side of her hair to her head and clapped her hands "Buckle up, we're going home"

Nate lifted his gaze from the screen and smirked at her, shaking his head and showing Lourdes and Saracon to their seats, while the blonde dragged Nyssa to hers.

"Gideon, prepare the Waverider for takeoff" Ray instructed walking to the front of the ship "Set a course: United States, Star City, present time"

 _"Right away, Captain"_

"Captain?" Sara scoffed sitting at Ray's right while Nate sat at his left.

Amaya smiled and took the seat next to Nyssa, smiling at the woman and winking reassuringly before addressing the blonde "He has been milking this Captain thing ever since we left Star City"

"Well, Rip isn't here and someone needs to be Captain" he shrugged and turned his chair to face the control panel.

"Are you pretending to be Captain Kirk again?" the blonde asked smirking.

"I am not pretending to be any—"

"'Cause we already agreed; you're Picard" she interrupted him laughing.

"I'm not Picard!" Ray protested, almost whining "You're Picard!"

"Solid comeback, man" Nate chuckled.

The Captain groaned and glanced at Sara "Just… get ready, okay? We're taking off"

"Aye aye, Captain" she saluted and did as instructed.

"Is she a smartass with you, too?" Amaya asked, leaning closer to Nyssa as the Waverider took off.

"Even more so" the brunette chuckled, staring at the back of the blonde's head "But I do believe it is one of her most endearing features"

"Are you talking about me?"

"No" both women lied at the same time.

Sara turned her head to look at them narrowing her eyes suspiciously, then stated "You so were" she smirked and shook her head, turning to stare ahead again "Both of you are lousy liars"

"Sara, can you focus?" Ray asked, reaching over to the blonde's side of the board, typing a few commands "What's the point of having you as my right hand if you're gonna be distracted?"

"Excuse me?" she gasped incredulously "Are you forgetting who Rip's second-in-command is? If you must, think of me 'allowing' you to pilot as a courtesy. I can override your Captain status like that" the blonde stated snapping her fingers to illustrate her point "But, honestly, if you're gonna be an ass, I'm just gonna kick your sorry ass and call it a day"

He gulped and looked nervously at her "Please, don't…?"

"Then don't be a dick! You are usually very sweet and all, but I'll definitely hurt more than your ego if you don't drop the attitude"

"I'm sorry"

She pushed a series of buttons and got up, taking a step closer to Ray and smacking the back of his head "Apology accepted"

"Ow!" he looked at her with sad puppy eyes, rubbing the back of his head "I guess I deserved that"

"Yes, you did. Now we're even" the blonde turned to look at Amaya "Cover for me?"

"Sure" the other woman got up and took Sara's previous seat, then looked at Ray arching one eyebrow "If you're an ass to me, I'll throw your precious tiny suit down the toilet"

"Got it"

Sara held her hand out for her fiancée and smiled "I wanna show you something"

The brunette smiled at her and took her hand, lacing their fingers as she got up and allowed the other woman to lead her away from the group.

"So…" they heard Saracon's voice before an automatic door closed behind them "...since Sara is obviously the White Canary, I take it you are the A.T.O.M.?"

Nyssa let her fiancée walk her down a long corridor "Was it true what you told Dr. Palmer?"

Sara turned around a corner and stopped in front of a closed door "What? That I was gonna kick his ass? Pretty much, yeah" she ran her palm down the scanner and the door slid open, revealing a comfortable looking bedroom-like space.

"No, not that part, beloved" the blonde walked in and turned around, leading Nyssa inside before sliding her hand down the other side of the scanner and closing the door behind them "The part where you mentioned overriding his status"

She smirked and jumped up to sit on the edge of the high bed "Yeah" then reached out with her hand so the brunette would get closer, which she immediately did "I was totally serious, that's why he had to shut up. I'm Rip's second-in-command here" she placed her hands on Nyssa's hips and kissed her softly.

The brunette kissed her back smiling "When did you learn how to pilot a ship of this magnitude?"

"Figured someone had to" Sara shrugged "If something happened and Rip was incapacitated, or even killed, we would be seriously screwed. We learned that lesson after we got boarded by time pirates. So Ray and I learned first. Mick learned as Chronos, and the rest of the team did outta boredom in between missions over the years"

"You keep surprising me every day, beloved"

"Apparently, I'm a natural and don't hesitate to do what needs to be done, so Rip decided I should be his second, and that was it" she remembered that moment and laughed "Ray was pouting for like a week, mumbling about him being 'more suitable' to be Captain"

The brunette smiled and tilted her head to the side "One would think, considering his background"

"Meh, he's a softie. It takes more than that kinda knowledge to be Captain of this ship"

Nyssa chuckled "Of course, and who better suited for the task than the great and infamous White Canary?"

"Damn right!"

"I'm proud of you" the brunette said smiling "I have always been, but everything I witnessed ever since you came back it is quite remarkable" she reached up to run her fingers along the braid adorning the left side of her fiancée's head "And I do particularly love the look"

Sara grinned cheekily and leaned forward to kiss her softly "Yeah? I'll make sure to wear it like this more often then"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it" Nyssa smiled when the blonde kissed her again "Did you intend to show me something, or was that an excuse to bring me here to make out?"

The other woman chuckled and shook her head "A little bit of both"

The brunette laughed and looked around "Was this your bedroom?"

"Yes"

"Still is, I assume…" Nyssa said, walking around the room "...by the way you unlocked the door and the amount of random… um, 'stuff' you have scattered around"

"Rip said we're always welcome, that's why he insisted on keeping it this way"

"We?" the brunette asked leaning back against the wall.

Sara smiled and jerked her head to the door "Slide you palm down the reader"

Nyssa carefully did as instructed and her eyebrows shot up in surprise when the door slid open. She repeated the movement and it closed again.

"That door unlocks only for you and me" the blonde explained proudly.

"I have never been here before, how did you manage to get my palm print?" she asked, pointing at the scanner.

"You haven't been here before, true" Sara smirked "But, based on the fact that the door is still working, I can guarantee you will again in the future"

Nyssa frowned, deep in thought for a few seconds, before shrugging "I guess that is as good explanation as any, considering everything"

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it" the blonde chuckled.

"So…" she started walking around the room again, picking up and examining a discarded and torn leather jacket "...was this your bedroom during those ten years?" she smiled to herself and closed an open, empty drawer.

"Yes" her fiancée said smiling "I wanted you to see it" she explained "Well, that and…" the blonde paused and bit her lip nervously "...Gideon?"

 _"Yes, Ms. Lance?"_

"Do you still have my files stored?"

 _"Of course"_

Sara looked at her fiancée and smiled. Not her usual confident, charming smile; this was an almost shy one. Then said in a low voice "This is what kept me going for ten years" the blonde jumped off the bed, took a deep breath and added "Gideon, play my regular sequence"

The screen by the bed came to life, and the blonde reached out with her hand to pull Nyssa closer to her. The other woman moved to stand next to her fiancée and stared at the screen as the lights around them dimmed slightly.

The brunette gasped when a strangely familiar video sequence started playing before their eyes. She saw herself, obviously a couple of years younger, walking peacefully toward an impossibly clear ocean. The white sand beneath her bare feet giving slightly as she kept walking. She was wearing a white sundress that flowed in the light summer breeze along with her hair.

She saw her younger self turn around and keep walking backwards with a soft smile on her face "Come here with me, leave that phone, beloved" she heard herself say in Arabic between soft, happy giggles, her own voice sounding foreign in her ears.

And then she heard that amazing sound that invaded her thoughts, day and night, for the past eight years: Sara's laughter. Nyssa smiled involuntarily, as the sound warmed her whole body, as it always did, and she felt herself falling in love all over again.

The image shook and soft wind could be heard as the woman holding the phone ran to catch up with the other one. After some rustling they both came into focus as the brunette wrapped her arms around the young blonde's neck and kissed her cheek softly, before whispering a barely audible "I love you" that made Sara grin and nod softly before whispering "Love you, too"

The video sequence ended after that, but was replaced by a series of pictures. Some of both of them, some portraying only Nyssa. In some they looked as young as they did in the video, but there were more recent ones, where the changes in their bodies and souls were more noticeable.

Another video started, featuring a very peaceful and silent Nyssa sitting on the floor of their balcony in Nanda Parbat, meditating. The only visible movement was the soft rise and fall of her chest with her calm breathing "We need to work on your stealth, Ta-er al-Asfer" she said all of a sudden, startling the other woman.

"Shit, Nyssa! Don't do that, you know it freaks me out!"

The brunette opened only one eye and arched an eyebrow "Do not attempt to sneak up on me" after saying that, she closed her eye again "You are lucky I was aware it was you"

Again, the sound of Sara's laughter filled the room and Nyssa wrapped her arm around her fiancée's waist, smiling and kissing her temple. The blonde smiled, too, and rested her head on the other woman's shoulder as another series of pictures started passing on the screen.

"Thank you, Gideon, that would be enough" the screen went to a peaceful sunset over a mountain range after Sara's request, and she turned shily to look at her fiancée.

"Now you know what I meant when I said you were the one that kept me going for over ten years, Nyssa" that was the moment she noticed Nyssa's eyes were full of tears "You have no idea how many times I was so injured, tired, pissed or frustrated that I just wanted to give up. On this, fighting, even life once or twice..." she admitted ashamed "...but I always came here, looked at you, and realized that, no matter what, I had to keep fighting; 'cause you are worth fighting for"

Feeling at a loss of words, the brunette wrapped her arms around her fiancée's neck and kissed her cheek, much like she saw herself do in the video, and said a soft "I love you"

Sara, smiling as she recognized the meaning of the gesture, wrapped her arms tightly around Nyssa's waist, nodded and whispered "Love you, too"

"I had no idea, beloved" she ran her fingers through the blonde's hair and kissed her forehead "I honestly forgot about those"

"Well, I didn't"

Nyssa chuckled and kissed her lips softly, letting it linger for a few moments.

 _"Ms. Lance, if you'd like, I have your other compilations ready to play for you and Ms. Raatko"_

"No!" the blonde shouted alarmed, then tried to cover it with exaggerated calm "Um, no, no… thank you, Gideon. That won't be necessary"

Nyssa arched one eyebrow and folded her arms "Sara?"

"Mm?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Other compilations?"

Before she could come up with an excuse, Gideon added _"I also have the dream logs you asked me to store for you, Ms. Lance. All of them involving Ms. Raatko"_

The blonde panicked again and shouted "What the fuck, Gideon?! No! Don't play anything else! Just be quiet!"

Nyssa bit her lip trying not to laugh "Dreams?"

Running her fingers through her hair, the blonde huffed exasperatedly "Fucking Gideon"

"Care to explain?" the brunette asked leaning back against the bed, her arms still folded across her chest.

"Do I have to?" Sara winced and gulped.

"Yes, you definitely do"

The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. She looked up into the other woman's eyes, and scoffed when she saw a smirk playing on her lips "It's been **ten years** , Nyssa. You know me; how do you think I survived?"

Her fiancée grinned arching one eyebrow "I am not following" she lied.

Sara groaned and rolled her eyes "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

"Absolutely, yes"

"Okay, you wanna go there? Let's go there..." she smirked biting the side of her lip "...remember those pics and videos I said I would delete but never did?" she waited for the brunette to nod and continued "Well, I made a different kind of compilation outta those. Worked like a charm, babe, popped in like two minutes every time"

Despite feeling extremely proud and surprisingly aroused at the thought, Nyssa couldn't help the blush that crept slowly up her neck, making her fiancée laugh "And what about the dreams?" she asked before Sara could say anything about her reaction.

"Oh. Well, um, you see…" she cleared her throat "...turns out, and I didn't find out about this after a couple of months here, that Gideon can actually monitor our dreams. Even keep logs and live footage of them"

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh" Sara half smiled and nervously rubbed the back of her neck "One night I kinda had a very vivid dream about… us. So, well... I got curious"

"Of course"

"So I asked if it could be stored just for me to access so I could check it out later that night. Gideon encrypted it and gave me the option to delete it, in case I found it irrelevant"

"Did you find it irrelevant?"

"Fuck, no!" Sara said laughing "I saved every single one of them after! You can check my iPad, they're all there!"

They started laughing again, but the sudden movement of the ship interrupted their moment. It shook violently for a short while before stabilizing again, but they could still feel the erratic movement.

"That's definitely not a good sign" the blonde said frowning.

Before she could even make it to the door, Amaya's voice rang inside the bedroom, her tone bordering on desperate "Sara, Nyssa, we need you here!"

Both women ran out the door and down the corridor in a heartbeat, reacting just in time to move aside as the door slid open and Nate came flying past them, hitting the opposite wall with a weird metal-on-metal sound.

"The fuck is going on?!" the blonde asked alarmed.

They quickly scanned the scene before them and exchanged a silent look. Without saying a word, Nyssa rushed to her mother's side, trying to help her pull Saracon away from Ray.

Sara ran to the front of the main deck, where Amaya was trying to do her best to pilot amidst the chaos around her "Gideon, this is Captain Sara Lance. Dr. Palmer has been compromised. Override his Captain status, I'll be in charge from now on" she instructed sternly.

 _"Right away, Captain"_

"Thanks" the blonde said looking at Amaya when the woman got up from the center seat "Stay, help me fix this shit"

"No problem" she took a seat on Sara's right and both women focused on trying to steady the ship with almost half the control panel broken.

"Gideon, how compromised is the navigation system?"

 _"Quite, Captain. The autopilot function isn't entirely functional and the ship will require constant assistance to fully operate until repairments are made"_

"Can you maintain its position once I get it stabilized?"

 _"Certainly"_

"Thank you, Gideon. Nate!" the blonde shouted while flipping some switches "Dude, you realize you **literally** have superpowers, right? Now would be a good time to use them! Get your hippie shit together and break whatever that is!"

"Nyssa, Lourdes, step away" the man instructed clenching his fists, startling Nyssa when his hands suddenly looked as if made of steel for a second. Once both women moved aside, he placed his hands on Saracon's shoulders, easily picking him up and shoving him away from Ray.

With a feral growl, Saracon charged at him, but he literally bounced off Nate's body.

Ray moved away from the struggle, still trying to regain his breath after being choked by the other man "What is going on?!" he asked alarmed looking at Lourdes.

The woman furrowed her brow and shook her head, looking at her daughter "I don't know, something triggered this"

Her daughter looked at Nate "Keep him away from my mother" when the man nodded, she rushed to her fiancée's side, reaching behind the blonde's back for her collapsible bō "I need to borrow this, beloved"

Sara smirked and nodded "Go ahead"

"You can step aside, Dr. Heywood" the brunette stated, twirling Sara's bō staff in her hand.

"Nyssa, he's dangerously strong" the man protested, still struggling with Saracon "He's gonna hurt you"

"Step aside"

"But—"

"Nate, do what she says!" Sara shouted angrily "That's the woman who trained me. She can kick your tin ass nine ways to sunday; her orders are my orders, we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am" he finally stepped aside and helped Lourdes away from her children to keep her safe.

"Saracon, I do not wish to harm you" Nyssa stated calmly "Control those instincts, brother, this is not you"

His only response was a loud growl before he started circling her. She followed his every move, always standing between the man and the rest of the team.

"Gideon, suspend our course until further instruction" the blonde said calmly and got up from her seat. She motioned for Ray to get closer and whispered something, getting a nod from the man before he disappeared down a corridor.

 _"Course suspended, Captain"_

Saracon roared and lunged at his sister, trying to get his hands around her neck, but the woman quickly blocked him with the bō staff and front kicked him away "Regain control, Saracon!" she insisted advancing on him.

He tried to connect a punch to her jaw, but Nyssa easily dodged it and shoved her palm hard on his chest, forcing him to stumble back. Angry and frustrated, the man's attacks started to come at her faster, but leaving him more open. Eventually she managed to pin him against a wall, holding the staff tightly against his throat "Calm down!"

Saracon struggled against her hold, but was unable to break free.

Ray came back and handed Sara a small syringe, which the blonde immediately stuck into Saracon's neck, eliciting one last feral growl before he went limp between the wall and the staff Nyssa was still holding.

"Gotta say…" the blonde shrugged "...super fucked up déjà vu right now. I'm just glad Talia is not here to say 'I told you so', we would never hear the end of it"

* * *

"What are we gonna do?" Sara asked looking at the group "He can't stay with Lourdes like they planned, we don't know when he might snap again"

"Sara, I can handle my son"

" **That** was not your son, mother" Nyssa stated seriously "He should stay with us, beloved, we are his best option"

The blonde agreed nodding "We are, but there's the not-so-tiny issue of our sleeping arrangements. We only have one bedroom, babe, remember?"

Nyssa nodded and looked down, frowning and biting her lip, deep in thought. Sara leaned back against the wall and rubbed her temple, trying to come up with a solution, too.

Suddenly, both women looked up into each other's eyes at the same time. Nyssa gasped and Sara smirked "You cool with that?" she asked, realizing they both had the same idea.

"Not only that, but I honestly believe it might even help him"

"Yeah, me too"

"Can you arrange it?"

The blonde smiled and nodded "Gideon, change our course, we're heading to the Caribbean, present time. I'll manually log the coordinates and pilot the ship"


	20. That Was Weed and You Were Making Out

**Chapter 20: That Was Weed and You Were Making Out**

"You think he might be able to?" Sara asked over the phone while pacing back and forth next to the pool "Well, ask him, Felicity" she looked up at the bright stars adorning the sky "You live with him, it's way faster if you do it now" using her foot, the blonde aligned one of the lounge chairs to the others "Just tell him it's for Nyssa, apparently they're friends now or whatever" rolling her eyes, she sighed loudly "Yes, we're friends, too"

Nyssa walked silently out the back door, sliding it back closed carefully. She smiled at her fiancée when the woman spotted her, and moved to the end of the pool area, resting her forearms on the railing and leaning forward staring at the ocean.

"Look, talk to Thea about that, okay?" she kept pacing and sighed "Because she is in charge of it" huffing loudly, she stopped pacing a looked up at the sky again "I don't know why, she talked to Nyssa"

The brunette smirked and shook her head, not even trying to guess the other side of that conversation.

"Why would I do that?" the blonde chuckled "No, I don't care, but if he acts like an ass, he's gonna get treated like an ass" she ran her fingers through her hair "Look, it's late and it's been a really long day, I wanna go to bed" biting her lip, she nodded to herself "Okay, thanks" some more nodding "Cool, night"

Sara sighed pocketing her phone and moved to stand next to Nyssa "How is he?"

"Sleeping after you sedated him again" she paused and sighed, rubbing her temple "I called for reinforcements"

"Good, we need them" the blonde nodded and frowned when she realized something "Did you notice that every time he snaps you're nowhere near him?"

"Care to elaborate?" Nyssa asked confused.

"Like, in Nanda Parbat. When we found him you weren't with us. Then while we were away in our room during our flight. And now here, right after you and Lourdes went to the store, he went full on crazy on me" she looked ahead at the ocean and shrugged "It's the only constant I can find"

The brunette remained silent for a few minutes "Do you think my presence prevents those episodes?"

"I don't know what's going on with the guy, but I do think you are helping him keep it together. For all we know, he spent a whole year in crazy-land"

"We can test that theory" Nyssa nodded "I can stay relatively close to him while we are here and see if it makes a difference. However, provided it works, that would be a temporary solution; I cannot be around him at all times"

"I know, shit will get awkward if you have to" Sara smirked and moved to rub her fiancées back "Relax, Felicity is already on it"

"Did she agree?"

"Yeah, we should have some news about it tomorrow. She'll talk to Oliver tonight and see if we can reach him"

The brunette nodded and turned her head to look at the other woman "Tell me, beloved, do you believe it will work?"

"Actually, yeah" her fiancée shrugged and asked "You don't?"

"That is not it" Nyssa sighed "My lack of knowledge on the matter is what makes me feel insecure; there is not much I am entirely ignorant about. It is a topic my father purposefully avoided and forbade due to Mr. Darhk's practices"

"We don't have to do anything if you're not sure, babe" Sara said, reaching for the other woman's hand and rubbing it softly with her thumb "If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I'll text Felicity right now and tell her to forget about it"

"No, no" she answered shaking her head "I do believe we should at least try. We discussed it and I have to admit, as foreign as it sounds to me, the end result is standing right before my eyes and I cannot say I am displeased" Nyssa explained smiling softly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Sara's right ear "If Mr. Constantine was able to retrieve your soul, chances are he will also be able to help my brother"

* * *

"Sup bitches?!"

"Oh, God" Nyssa closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

"Yep, definitely still don't like that word" Sara decided, narrowing her eyes.

"Who is this?" Saracon asked frowning when he felt something in his chest start to vibrate and a soft growl escape his lips. He looked around, starting to feel on edge, but no one seemed to notice. When Nyssa looked back at him, she smiled reassuringly and he felt himself starting to calm down.

Lourdes laughed, staring curiously at the young woman who walked out the back door.

"Holy—" Thea paused when she spotted the shirtless man sitting by the pool with his feet in the water. She looked around and noticed that both former assassins and a slightly older woman were occupying some of the lounge chairs on one side of the pool, while two other men and a woman sat on the other side. The men she didn't recognize, but the woman she had seen fight alongside Nyssa when they took the title from Merlyn "You've gotta be freaking kidding me. **This** is your brother, Nyssa?!"

"Oh, dear God" the brunette repeated.

"So, what? You all just forgot to mention every single Raatko is hot as hell?" the young woman asked "Hi, I'm Thea, by the way" she added "You look kinda like Nyssa. Strong jaw and the look in your eyes. Hair style aside, I don't see her rocking that look like you do. Are you their mom? You look way too young to be their mom. Are you?" she asked bluntly addressing Lourdes.

"I am"

"Excellent job!" she observed giving her two thumbs up.

The older woman laughed again and shook her head "Thank you…?"

Sara shivered and closed her eyes "Thea, please don't"

"What? I'm just stating the obvious" she explained moving one hand in the direction of the light brunette, blue eyed, muscular man "You, of all people, should be agreeing with me, Sara! You're marrying one of 'em!"

"Hey, guys! We're here. What's going on?" Felicity asked walking out the door.

"I believe Thea is slightly infatuated with my brother" Nyssa explained with a pained expression.

Realization hit the blonde hacker and she exclaimed horrified "Oh, gross, Thea!" both Lourdes and Saracon stared at her with their eyebrows raised "Oh, no—no! I didn't mean **you** are gross…" she trailed off, tilting her head to the side and staring at the man for a few seconds "...you're obviously very **not** gross. Not gross at all, mister. Sitting there in the sun, all muscly and shirtless…" she sighed contentedly "...so shirtless" then remained silent.

"Um, yeah, that's Felicity" Thea explained, using her thumb to point at the woman.

Saracon smirked "Nice to meet you, Felicity"

"And now I'm insanely jealous"

"Aren't you dating Roy?" Sara asked.

"So? I'm not blind! Look at him!" she said looking at Sara, then back at the man "Are you for real?! You definitely made it to my yummy list"

"That's so inappropriate" Felicity commented, grimacing.

"Thea, please, stop!" Nyssa shouted, unable to witness the situation any longer "He is your brother"

They all fell silent for about a minute, trying to process what just happened.

"I'm sorry, he's what now?" the young Queen finally asked, taking off her sunglasses "I'm pretty sure I didn't hear you right…" she said frowning "...'cause that just sounded like you said he's my brother"

Saracon removed his feet from the water and stood up to fully face the young woman. He frowned and turned to look at his mother, then at Nyssa, who nodded.

Sara got off the chair and moved to stand in front of Thea, placing on hand on the girl's left shoulder "He's your half brother"

"Um…" she frowned, confusion written all over her face "...yeah, no. What?"

The blonde smiled "He's Merlyn's son"

Thea moved to the side to be able to look first at the man, then at Lourdes, and finally Nyssa before focusing back on Sara "You sure?"

"Yes"

The young woman stood completely still, clearly in shock and barely blinking, starting to worry all of them. Then all of a sudden she turned around and almost ran back inside shouting "Tommy!"

* * *

"So, these should help until Oliver get's here and we find a permanent way to help you" Felicity said looking at Saracon and handing Nyssa a transparent pill container filled with small orange pills.

"What are these?" the brunette woman asked examining the medication bottle.

"Some enhanced sedatives. A friend hooked me up with some stuff" she bent her knees and tucked her bare feet under her legs to get more comfortable on the couch "Figured we would need to up our game"

"A friend?" Sara asked frowning.

Her fiancée turned the bottle in her hand to show her the S.T.A.R. Labs logo at the same time Felicity answered "Caitlin"

"Oh, then yeah, we're cool"

"I've been thinking, you know, trying to come up with, um—" Felicity started, but interrupted herself "Has Ray ever been exposed to the effects of the Lazarus Pit?"

"Why?" Sara asked slowly, cautiously, narrowing her eyes at the other blonde.

"Well, you see, he's the only one who doesn't make any sense"

"What kind of sense? Felicity, you know we can't read minds, right? I mean, I don't know if he can..." Sara said jerking her head in Saracon's direction "...but I'm pretty sure the rest of us can't"

The hacker shook her head and decided to ignore her, focusing on Saracon instead "Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but has Thea triggered your murderous side, too?"

The man looked down ashamed and nodded "I'm barely keeping it together, and I don't even know why. The pull is too strong right now; like it was in Nanda Parbat"

"I knew it!" Felicity exclaimed triumphantly, then flinched "Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about that!" she added panicking "It's just that it takes us a step closer to confirm my theory"

"And what is your theory? 'Cause I would like to know the reason why my brand new big brother wants to **fucking kill me**!"

The blonde hacker looked at Sara again "Sara, if you know something, you need to tell me. Has Ray been exposed to the Lazarus Pit?"

Sighing loudly and nervously rubbing her hands together, the woman nodded "He's been accidentally exposed to a Lazarus Pit, yes"

"Wait, 'a Lazarus Pit'? You mean there's more than one?" Thea asked frowning.

"Yes" this time it was Saracon who answered "There are several scattered around the world. The one in Nanda Parbat was only one of many"

"I've been doing some research on The Hidden and the Ashkiri" Felicity started to explain. She made a point to look first at Lourdes, then at the woman's son. Both of them nodded and she continued her explanation "I couldn't find much, but what I did find, was about the 'Sacred Waters' of the Askiri; or what we know as Lazarus Pits" she frowned deep in thought, licked her lips and sighed "There's a legend about the Askiri Temple. It says it was guarded by Snow Leopards"

"That is not a legend, dear" Lourdes clarified "I was bit by one of them"

"Wow, really? That's—"

"Not relevant right now" Sara interrupted the hacker before she could get off track.

"Right…" Felicity nodded and pushed her glasses up her nose "...anyway! It's believed that the waters are protected, and its properties are solely reserved for Ashkiri people. Which would explain the less than desirable effects they had on some of you" she made a point to look at Sara and Thea "So! Ashkiri people believed that a god of darkness and a goddess of light lived in snow leopard form. And now that I know that's actually true I'm getting way too excited about this" she looked at Lourdes before saying "You and I. Later. We're gonna talk about this" the woman Laughed and nodded, so the blonde decided to continue her explanation "So, god and goddess kept the world in balance for a while, until eventually the goddess was killed and darkness started to spread. Miraculously—and I'm using that word 'cause there was no explanation whatsoever—a new snow leopard was born, and balance returned to the world" she nodded to herself, satisfied that she didn't forget about any important detail "Now, and I think this is gonna ring a bell for some people: the hearts of the gods were buried in the Ashkiri temple"

Nyssa sighed exhaustedly, rubbing her forehead before looking at her brother "Dear God, Saracon" she whispered.

Her brother looked at her apologetically and shrugged.

"I think somehow, after the… let's call it 'heart incident', Saracon can sense the remnants of the Pit's effects in those who have 'profaned the waters' at some point; and some part of him is trying to 'balance the scales', to put it nicely"

"Those were a lot of air quotes for one sentence. Anyway, it would explain why the pull is so strong right now" Laurel observed nodding "Sara and Thea in the same room together, must be too much"

Her sister nodded pursing her lips "Same thing happened in Nanda Parbat, I was with Talia there"

"Question" Sin said raising her hand "Why isn't he freaking out now, then? No offense, dude, I actually like you an' all, just honestly wondering"

Saracon laughed and shrugged "It's a valid question"

Sara and Nyssa exchanged a look, and the blonde decided to point it out "I might've noticed that he doesn't freak out when Nyssa is around"

Felicity directed her full attention to Nyssa "That's interesting"

"Coincidence?" the former leader of the League of Assassins suggested weakly.

"I don't believe in those" the hacker dismissed the theory with a wave of her hand. She pursed her lips, her brow furrowed in concentration "Have you ever been exposed to a Lazarus Pit?"

"No"

"Why not? You used to live there, it was in your father's possession, so it was practically at your disposal. I can imagine there have been times where you could've benefited from its healing properties, I've heard the stories"

"The Pit was never mine to use, Felicity; and even if it was, I've seen the side effects of the waters. I've witnessed things you cannot even begin to imagine. I was never reckless the way my father was, I understood from a young age that the waters demanded respect, so they got mine. I vowed to never let them corrupt me the way they corrupted others"

"There you go" Felicity said smiling, motioning with her hand in the brunette's direction as she looked around at the rest of the group "She gave the Ashkiri what they demanded: respect. So she got their respect back" she focused on Nyssa again "I think something inside Saracon is recognizing that, and it's making him able to trust you" she looked at the man with a smile "Am I right?"

"Actually, yes. That's why it was so confusing for me in Nanda Parbat. Something inside me screamed that you could be trusted, even without knowing who you were, but—"

"Talia and I didn't make it easy" Sara said smiling apologetically.

Saracon chuckled and shook his head "Not particularly"

"Sorry 'bout that"

"It's alright, Sara. It's not your fault, if anything it is mine. I subjected myself to it, I consciously decided to become this. I have no one else to blame but myself" he looked up at Felicity, frowning deep in concentration "Do you believe the pills will help me?"

"Absolutely"

"Are they legal?" Lourdes asked concerned.

"Well…" the hacker pursed her lips and pushed her glasses up her nose "...define 'legal'"

"I have a brother" Tommy's voice drew everyone's attention back to him for a second, but then they all ignored him and resumed their previous conversation. He kept staring at the floor, his eyes wide with shock, completely oblivious to the rest of them.

Laurel sat on the armrest of the armchair her husband was occupying and rubbed his back soothingly "How are those supposed to help, anyway?" she asked looking at Felicity "Not like we can wait till he gets one of those episodes and then make him pop one"

"Oh, no" Felicity shook her head "He needs to take them regularly to avoid the episodes altogether" she explained "Think of them as anxiolytics. If you administer them correctly, they'll inhibit the part of his brain that's making him go all 'gr, argh, stabby-stabby' and still be completely functional. Maybe a little sleepy, but that will go away eventually"

Nyssa frowned looking at the pills "Are they safe?"

"Totally" the blonde hacker nodded "She said they used them with this crazy-meta-freak…" she looked at Saracon with a panicked look on her face "...no offense!"

"None taken" he answered with a smile before asking "How should I take them?"

His sister handed him the container and asked "Are you certain you want to do this?"

He shrugged "It's not like I have any other option, Nyssa. I refuse to stay here with all of you if I am going to be a risk; especially to your fiancée and my sister" he started reading the small label "It is a good alternative until we find a more permanent solution"

"Yeah, and maybe next time…" Sara said smirking at him "...think twice before eating some heart you find inside a weird ass cave"

"I'm gonna have to second that one" Thea stated pointing at Sara "And also: super gross"

"Cait said one every eight hours should do the trick" Felicity explained ignoring both Thea and Sara "But if you start feeling like you might lose it, you can, like, take half in between your regular takes"

"Good" the man said removing the cap and immediately taking one "Thank you" he added slightly embarrassed "To all of you"

The blonde hacker smiled and patted his shoulder "Any brother of Nyssa, Tommy and Thea is our friend"

"I have a brother" Tommy stated again in disbelief.

"So, what now?" Sin asked leaning back on the couch "We chill and enjoy the beach till the rest gets here?"

Both Lance sisters exchanged a knowing smile and nodded "I say we chill and enjoy the beach" Laurel agreed.

"Well, we have new family members" her younger sister added "I say we give 'em a proper introduction to our family"

"Wait a minute!" Thea said holding her hand up and looking at Nyssa "This new situation makes **us** family? 'Cause that kinda messes with the plan I was already plotting in case Sara left again"

* * *

Sara walked down the stairs that led to the beach and sat down next to the brunette woman who was already sitting on the sand in a slightly dark and secluded area "Hey"

Nyssa moved her gaze away from the two men that stood talking several feet in front of them, and smiled at her fiancée "Hi"

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

The blonde smiled and jerked her head in the direction of the two men "I know you were nervous about them meeting"

"They seem to be getting along quite well" she answered, looking back at them.

"See? Told you, babe, you had nothing to worry about. Tommy's a pretty decent guy"

"He is a good man"

"I would've killed him before he married my sister if I didn't think he was"

Sara's honest statement make the brunette chuckle and nod in agreement "And I would have assisted you in your mission"

"Appreciate it" she smiled and looked at the other woman again "Babe, you need to relax, that's what we all agreed to do, remember? The pills are working, he says he feels like his old self, and the guys will be here any day now to help him"

"I am trying, beloved"

"Well, lucky for both of us, I have something that might help" she leaned her body back a little and reached inside the front pocket of her cut out shorts. Grinning widely, she took out a small, metallic cigarette case and a matching lighter.

"Dear God, Sara"

"What?"

"I thought you had lost that"

The blonde scoffed and slid the case open "I can lose my keys, license, phone, and even the car in a full parking lot, but there's not way in hell I can lose this"

Nyssa laughed wholeheartedly and leaned back on her elbows, looking at her fiancée as the woman took one out and lit it.

After taking a long drag, Sara passed it to her fiancée "We are safe here, no need to be on constant alert, we have backup" she encouraged her with a wink.

Nyssa took it with a smile and took a long drag, too, before giving it back. She blew the smoke out slowly after a few seconds and stared at the stars, smiling softly "I have missed this greatly, habibti"

"What?" the blonde asked, her voice sounding overly nasal, before blowing out the smoke and looking down at her "Pot?"

"No" Nyssa answered, shaking her head and laughing "Being with you like this. Away, together, somewhere nice, with you attempting to convince me to relax while being a bad influence"

"Hey! I didn't make you grow your own back in Nanda Parbat!"

"True" she conceded and they both laughed.

"I've missed this, too" Sara nodded; then, smiling dangerously, she leaned down over Nyssa, slowly blowing out the smoke close to the other woman's lips.

The brunette, familiar with the action already, breathed it in at the same time she placed one hand on the back of the other woman's head and leaned all the way down. Sara grinned and kissed her softly, pulling back a second later to let her blow it out. She rested her weight on her left elbow and leaned down to kiss her again, taking more time with that one.

A few minutes passed and both women laid there, alternating between slowly making out, whispering to make each other laugh and smoking, until someone clearing their throat pulled them out of their private little world.

Sara looked up ready to tell whoever that was to go away and leave them alone, but as soon as she saw the woman's face she sat up abruptly, putting some distance between her body and Nyssa's. Her fiancée half sat up, too, leaning back on her elbows again.

The blonde noticed what she was still holding and her eyes opened twice their regular size "I—um, we—it's not what it looks like"

Lourdes laughed, looking back and forth between both of them, shaking her head when Sara put it out in the sand and tried to hide it "It is not?"

"No" she insisted "That was—We were—"

"That was weed and you were making out" the older woman interrupted her, laughing again "I have been young once, too. And, back then, my life used to be very similar to the lives you have led for years now. Don't mind me, I know first hand that need to unwind and I have never been opposed to using 'incentives' as long as they are natural"

"Oh…" Sara held the case and lighter up for the woman and offered "...want one?"

Lourdes laughed amused at Sara's boldness and shook her head "No, dear, thank you. I came here to say goodnight before I go to bed"

"Goodnight, mother" Nyssa said smiling softly.

"Have fun" the woman winked at them "Try not to be too loud" with a knowing smirk, she turned around and walked back to the house.

"Sara, did you just offer a joint to my mother?"

"Um, better question would be: did your mom just basically told us to go have sex?"

The brunette half smiled and tangled her fingers in Sara's hair again "Considering the position she found us in, I do believe that was the case, yes" she pulled her fiancée down with her "And one should always listen to their parents" she whispered against her soft lips.

Sara licked her suddenly dry lips and nodded, leaning down the rest of the way to kiss her softly, resting her weight on her left elbow and sneaking her right hand under Nyssa's tank top, tracing soft, random patterns with her fingertips against the soft skin of her fiancée's stomach.

Nyssa deepened the kiss, pulling on her hair softly, eliciting a soft moan from the blonde that vibrated against her lips and sent shivers down her spine.

In turn, the blonde shifted her weight, placing her right leg between the other woman's and laying half on top of her, while slowly but deliberately moving her hand further up as their kisses became even more deep and passionate.

"Found them!" Laurel's voice, sounding dangerously close, startled them "Looks like they're ten seconds away from having sex right here in the open"

Both former assassins groaned in frustration and pulled their lips apart "You've gotta be fucking kidding me" Sara mumbled, resting her forehead against her fiancée's shoulder and retracting her hand.

"It also smells like pot, so I think they're kinda high!" Laurel added looking at Thea, who was now standing at the top of the stairs looking down at them.

Nyssa chuckled and used her nails softly on the blonde's scalp while looking up at Laurel "You have the most terrible timing, Dinah Laurel Lance"

The woman grinned proudly and nodded, bending down to grab something that was laying on the sand by their bodies "You dropped…" she started, examining both items "...oh, this night is about to get a lot better" she slid Sara's cigarette case open and took one out, but before lighting it up she frowned and stopped "Very crappy of you, not sharing with your sister, assface" she said addressing her younger sister, then discretely put the joint back in the case and tossed both items back to them, making her way to the stairs "You can continue dry humping or whatever later, poker now. Get your asses inside, your League friends are full of shit and I'm dying to teach them a lesson"

"Which ones?" Sara asked over her shoulder.

"The two guys" her sister shouted back.

"Oh, it's on!" she jumped to her feet and pulled Nyssa up with her "Fucking Michael still owes me"

As they walked inside the house they noticed the big dining table had been mostly cleared up after dinner; it only held various bottles and glasses now.

"Ah, finally the League Royalty decided to join us! Excellent!" one of the men exclaimed clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

Laurel, who was sitting next to him, just rolled her eyes and kept shuffling the deck of cards she had in her hands.

"Shut up, Michael" Sara responded glaring at him "You still owe me from last time" she reached for the bottle of Nyssa's favorite scotch and poured two glasses, handing one to her fiancée and keeping the other one to herself.

"Well, let me try to win it back, your highness"

"I hate when you call me that"

"I know" the man responded grinning.

The blonde smirked and looked down at him "I will break your legs this time if you can't pay"

"As you wish, Ta-er Al-Asfer" he smirked back "Considering I lose to you again, which is not about to happen"

Sara looked at a smiling Nyssa and shook her head "Your people never learn" and following that statement, she ran upstairs.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Michael shouted "Are you really that scared?"

"Michael" Nyssa said half smiling "After so many years, have you learnt nothing?"

"Meh…" he waved his hand and took a sip of his beer "...I just like getting on her nerves"

"I won't tend to your wounds this time" the woman, Mesi, stated seriously.

"Relax, Talibah, it won't be necessary"

Nyssa stood up straighter to portray an air of power and utter seriousness "Michael, this is not a League matter. In fact, there is no more League. As your former team leader and close friend, I shall ask you to stop addressing all of us by our League names"

"As you wish, Ra's al Ghul" the man responded bowing his head but smirking.

"Stop" she said more forcefully "These people were once your brothers and sisters when you all were part of my team. We held the utmost respect for one another, unlike any other team. I would like to believe we can all be friends now; equals. Do you believe you can adapt to our new dynamics?"

"Yes" he said seriously now.

"Very well" she nodded shortly "I appreciate it"

"Were you really like royalty?" Felicity asked from the couch, where she was lying with Sin nursing a couple of beers, after a few seconds of silence.

"Yes" the handsome man who had remained silent until then nodded "Nyssa was born League Royalty"

"But what about my sister?" Laurel asked curiously.

"She was the Heir's beloved. According to Nyssa, they were equals in every single aspect"

"Zeddmore is right, Laurel. But in addition to being my beloved, she fought and worked hard to achieve a high rank position in the League. So, not only was she considered royalty, but also an outstanding warrior who all new recruits admired and all of her brothers and sisters undoubtedly respected"

"Stop talking about me as if I wasn't here" the blonde grumbled walking down the stairs wearing her worn and slightly torn Rockets cap backwards. She took a seat next to Zeddmore and patted his shoulder "Ready to lose all your money, Z?"

The man smirked and said in a mock-serious tone "I see you're wearing your lucky hat; logic dictates we don't stand a chance"

"Boy, are you gonna be sorry for saying that in a little while"

"Nyssa? Mesi?" Laurel asked "You want in?"

Mesi scoffed "I've seen the way this scene plays off many times and I do not look forward to getting hustled by Sara"

* * *

"Fuck" the blonde mumbled to herself as her shoulder hit the doorframe, making her stumble. She walked into the master bedroom, a lit joint dangling from her lips, and closed the door behind her. Once inside, she tossed the obscene wad of cash of assorted currencies she had in her hand on top of the dresser, and snort-laughed when it bounced off the surface and hit the floor.

Not finding her fiancée in bed, as she supposed she would, she quickly scanned the room, noticing that the sliding door that led to the balcony was open. Walking outside, carefully avoiding the doorframe this time, she found the woman sitting comfortably facing the ocean.

"Are you alright, beloved? I heard you curse" Nyssa asked turning her head to look at the other woman, the moonlight illuminating her striking features.

"Yeah, fine" the blonde dismissed the question "My aim seems to be slightly off, tho"

The brunette chuckled and pointed at Sara's lips "Do you believe it might have something to do with that?"

"Probably" she smirked taking a long drag and holding it out for her fiancée.

Nyssa laughed again and took it, doing the same and readjusting her position when the blonde moved to straddle her lap "How high are you?" she asked, wrapping one arm around Sara's waist.

"Enough"

"Enough as in 'I desperately need to sleep it off', or as in 'I desperately want to have sex'?"

Sara giggled softly and bent down to kiss the other woman's shoulder, then slowly moved those kisses up her neck "What do you think?" she mumbled between kisses.

"I feel inclined to say the latter" the brunette sighed and took one last drag before putting it out on the floor and wrapping both arms around Sara.

"And you would be correct, Ms. Raatko" she softly licked up her neck, ending with a slightly open mouthed kiss on the base of Nyssa's jaw "I wanna finish what we started before" she whispered, making sure her lips brushed against the brunette's ear.

"You do not play fair, Ms. Lance"

"Never said I did or promised I would" Sara mumbled and started kissing her fiancée's jaw, nipping at her chin "You gonna tell me you don't wanna?"

Nyssa chuckled and shook her head "I can't in good conscience say that"

The blonde leaned forward to capture the brunette's bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled on it as her hands found their way to the back of her neck.

Nyssa moved her hands up Sara's back, the tips of her fingers brushing softly up her spine, deepening the kiss at the same time the blonde arched her back and hissed "Too sensitive?"

Sara nodded and kissed her again, clenching her fists and pulling on her hair.

The brunette smiled into the kiss, tracing random patterns on her shoulder blades now "Is it too much, beloved? Do you wish for me to stop?"

"Fuck no" she answered breaking the kiss to catch her breath; action the other woman took advantage of and moved to kiss and lick up her neck "Shit, Nyssa, you have the most amazing tongue"

"Do I?"

"Yes" the blonde hissed when she felt a soft flick on her earlobe "Bed?"

"Why wait?" she made sure her hold on Sara's shoulders was firm enough, and got up in one quick motion, lifting her up and flipping their position, with the other woman now occupying the armchair.

"Holy shit"

"Are you comfortable?" Nyssa asked while kneeling in front of her and undoing the button of her shorts. She waited for the blonde to nod enthusiastically before pulling them down her legs along with her underwear. When goosebumps erupted all over Sara's legs, she looked up again, but frowning in concern this time "Are you cold?"

The blonde smiled and shook her head "Different kind of goosebumps" then reached over with her right hand, placing it on the back of Nyssa's neck and pulling her closer.

Nyssa smirked and wrapped her arms around her fiancée's thighs as she got pulled closer, feeling that hand move to her hair as the tip of her tongue darted out to tease the already squirming blonde.

"Oh, fuck, babe"

"You need to be quiet, beloved"

The blonde sighed and leaned back, biting her lips and nodding.

She nearly jumped and tilted her head back when she felt Nyssa's tongue press harder, not just teasing anymore, but managed to keep—mostly—quiet.

"Fuck, Nyssa, yes" she moaned as her fiancée set a steady, almost torturous rhythm, making sure to never lose contact.

The brunette moved her left hand up, cupping the other woman's jaw and used her thumb to softly trace her bottom lip "Quiet" she instructed again, moving her right hand up the inside of her thigh "Bite if you need to" and after saying that, she moved her hand all the way up Sara's thigh, using two fingers to add to her tongue's ministrations, slowly pushing them in.

Sara moaned loudly and bit down on the other woman's hand, pulling on her hair and coming hard after a couple of steady, incredibly effective thrusts, combined with the fast flicking of Nyssa's tongue.

Nyssa waited for Sara's body to calm down before daring to move any of her hands, and even then, the movement made her hiss. She smiled proudly when she noticed the small droplets of blood that coated the brand new bite mark adorning her left hand, and pushed her fiancée's shirt up to leave soft, smiling kisses all over her waist and stomach.

The blonde sighed and smiled happily, still leaning back with her eyes closed and running her fingers through Nyssa's hair. After about a minute, she opened her eyes frowning and looked down "I taste blood"

"Plausible"

She reached for the brunette's left hand and saw the reason "Fuck, I'm so sorry, babe"

"Do not be, beloved" her fiancée assured her, straightening her posture so they would be eye level "I encouraged you to do it" she ran her hand down the black tank top she was wearing and smiled "There, see? It was nothing"

Sara smiled and kissed her softly "We have had worse, I'll give you that" following that, she stood up, taking Nyssa's hand in hers to pull her up and lead her into their room "C'mon, I'm still super high and wanna see if you can bite hard enough to make me bleed"


	21. From Liverpool With Love

**Chapter 21: From Liverpool With Love**

"I would like to announce that due to very unfortunate circumstances, I'm awake" Sara stated as she walked down the stairs, tiredly running her fingers through her hair.

"Most of us are thanks to you, luv" a male voice in a british accent responded.

She stood at the end of the stairs frowning confused "When did you all get here?"

"Last night" Dig said smirking and sipping his coffee "You and Nyssa were obviously… busy"

"And by 'busy', he means 'shagging'" John Constantine added unnecessarily.

"We didn't want to interrupt" Oliver said with his own smirk.

"Huh" the blonde scratched the back of her neck, then shrugged as she walked past them straight to the coffee maker, stopping for a second to kiss the top of baby Sara's head and hug Lyla "Too happy and satisfied to actually care" she poured herself a cup of coffee and frowned "Wait, she didn't hear us, did she?" she asked pointing at the toddler.

"She's not deaf and you weren't quiet, so that would be a rotund 'yes'" Lyla smiled bouncing her still sleepy daughter and examining an angry looking bite mark on the blonde's shoulder "But on the bright side, she doesn't know what that was all about, so: no harm, no foul"

Sara shrugged again and went to take a seat at the table next to a tired looking Saracon "Where are the rest?"

"Laurel said she would be at the beach avoiding you and Nyssa for several hours" Oliver explained "She told us to give you the following message: 'you suck, assface'. Felicity, Thea and Mesi are with her. Roy and the League guys said they needed some stuff and went shopping; I don't know what that stuff was"

"Tommy and Sin went back to bed when you got quiet, so they're probably still sleeping" Dig added.

"And my mother went to the market because we are out of fruit. Either that or she wanted to avoid this moment" Saracon said rubbing his eyes.

"Probably both" Oliver suggested.

"Nyssa?" Lyla asked handing baby Sara her sippy cup.

"Shower"

"Not anymore" the woman in question said from the bottom of the stairs "Good morning"

"I bet it is" Constantine grinned cheekily and winked at her.

"Pardon me?" Nyssa looked him up and down.

"John Constantine" the man introduced himself when he felt her uneasiness toward him "Been dying to meet you, luv"

"Sara?" the brunette asked frowning in confusion as she started walking to the kitchen, but as soon as she passed by her fiancée, the blonde immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to her lap.

Nyssa giggled happily as she wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck and kissed her softly.

"Did you just... giggle?" Oliver asked in disbelief, earning himself a glare from Sara.

"Shut up, Ollie"

"It's a new sound" he shrugged.

"No, it isn't" Lyla said smiling and handing baby Sara to a very happy and awaiting Nyssa "She does it all the time with the baby"

"Okay, then: it's a new sound for some of us. Better?"

"Just shut up, Ollie"

"Auntie Nys!" baby Sara exclaimed happily wrapping her tiny arms around the woman's neck and kissing her cheek.

The brunette chuckled and held her up, so she could stand and bounce on her lap, and kissed her on the nose "Hi, sweetie. I've missed you so much"

"Wow"

"Stop it, Oliver!" Sara said one last time, more forcefully, but not yelling at the risk of startling baby Sara.

"Seriously, mate" John Constantine rolled his eyes at him.

"Did you girls get some sleep?" Dig asked while discretely taking a pic of the three of them with his phone.

"Yes, John, why?" Nyssa answered and Sara leaned forward to whisper something in her ear that made her go pale "Oh…" she gulped and grimaced, looking around the table "...I see. My sincerest apologies"

Saracon groaned and leaned forward, banging his forehead on the table.

"What's his problem?" the British man asked pointing at the still groaning man.

"He's Nyssa's older brother" Oliver explained half smirking.

"Oh, bollocks. My condolences, mate"

"Thank you" Saracon answered, still face down on the table.

"That was a lovely and colorful spectrum of obscenities you displayed there, luv" he pointed out looking at the blonde woman "Bloody brilliant"

Sara grinned proudly and held her chin up, as her fiancée blushed and focused on baby Sara to avoid everyone else "Thank you"

"I would consider soundproofing your bedroom if you plan on having kids someday" Dig suggested smirking "I'm guessing they'll speak Arabic? Just like Lyla and I do…?"

"Can all of you please stop?" Nyssa asked wincing at the thought of Dig and Lyla actually understanding some of the things that escaped her lips last night.

"Ah, relax, hun" Constantine said waving his hand dismissively "We've all done it. No need to be ashamed, luv; I found it particularly inspiring myself. Lovely voices"

The brunette woman glared at him narrowing her eyes "I do not like you, Mr. Constantine"

Sara chuckled and rubbed her back, using her other hand to help baby Sara happily bounce on Nyssa's thighs.

The man shrugged "No one does at first, I come off as an obnoxious prick"

"I fully agree with that description"

"But there is no question you are in need of my help"

"No, there is not" she sighed "However, it does not necessarily imply that I have to enjoy your company"

He smirked "I'll grow on you, you'll see"

"Probably" she conceded "Very much like a fungus"

* * *

"Laurel, will you pass me—"

"Don't speak to me"

"Seriously?" Sara rolled her eyes and waited for an answer that never came "Am I getting the silent treatment now?" still nothing as the woman grabbed a bottle of water and walked out the kitchen "Laurel, c'mon! What are you, five?" she asked grabbing a beer and following her sister out the back door.

Laurel turned around glaring at her "No, I'm thirty-one. Same as your fiancée, with whom you had very loud and traumatic sex all night!"

Her younger sister frowned and absentmindedly scratched the bite mark on her shoulder "It wasn't traumatic"

"I meant for me!"

"Laurel, I was very high, I'm sorry! It got outta hand at one point" Sara said honestly "I swear Nyssa did her best to keep me quiet, but she's just so—"

"Please don't finish that sentence"

"What's going on?" the youngest Lance asked taking a step forward "This isn't the first time you've heard us having sex. You even walked in on us once, so you can't rationally be this upset about it"

Her older sister sat down on a lounge chair and looked up at the darkening sky "Well, maybe I'm not rational"

Sara sat down on the end of Laurel's chair when the woman bent her knees "What's really going on? You're unusually irritable"

Laurel sighed defeated and rubbed her temple "I'm late"

"For what?"

"Sara…" she looked at her confused sister in the eye and arched one eyebrow "...I'm **late** "

"You're—oh. Oh! Holy shit!"

"Sh!" Laurel quieted her looking around, making sure they couldn't be overheard "You are the only one who knows"

"You didn't tell Tommy?"

"No"

"Why not? Wait, if you're actually… you know…" she waved her hand in the direction of her sister's stomach "...it would be his, right?"

"Oh my God, yes!" Laurel punched her arm "Who do you think I am, 'Sara Lance, 2007 edition'?!"

"That was low" she winced, but recovered quickly "I was just asking, you don't need to be an ass about it" leaning forward, she whispered "Did you take a test?"

"Sorry. No, too nervous"

"Okay, okay, let's calm down. How late are you?"

"Two weeks"

"Two fucking weeks?!"

"Sara, lower your freaking voice!" the older woman hissed.

"Sorry, sorry" she whispered "Were you guys trying?"

"Oh, yes, didn't I tell you? We've been trying for months, that's why I'm **freaking the fuck out**!" Laurel snapped at her "Get your head outta your ass, Sara! No, we weren't trying!"

"Jeez" Sara rolled her eyes "Talk about pregnancy hormones"

"We don't know if I'm pregnant"

"Two weeks, Laurel, you're annoyingly regular, just like Nyssa. I'm the fucked up one since I got stabbed. There's practically no other explanation for you to be this late" she took her sister's hand in hers "I can go get you a test if you want"

"I don't know"

"You gonna wait till you start showing? Laurel, you need to know" she gasped and glared at her sister "Didn't you take a joint from me last night? What were you thinking?!"

"I didn't, relax. As soon as I remembered I put it back in the case"

"Oh, cool. I don't want my future nephew or niece to be a pothead because of their irresponsible mother"

"You're not helping, Sara"

"Look, I can make a quick run to the store right now to get you a test and you can take it tonight. I can stay with you if you want me to. But you need an answer"

"Will you really stay with me while I do it?"

"Of course" Sara leaned forward and hugged her tightly "I mean, I won't hold it for you 'cause you'll pee all over my hand, but I'll be there with you. I'm your sister and I love you; I've got you"

* * *

"The hell do you think you're doing?" Sara asked, placing her palm on Oliver's chest to stop him from following the group walking away from them.

"Going with them" he answered matter of factly.

Nyssa stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to look at him, eyebrow arched and arms folded "To do what, exactly, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver frowned "Whatever the four of you are gonna do"

"Oliver, honey…" Felicity took a step forward when she noticed Sara's expression "...maybe you should—"

"Fuck no" Sara warned her "You are not taking this away from me, Felicity" she waited for the hacker to take a step back and looked up at Oliver again "Last time I checked, you were not a Raatko"

"No, but someone needs to make sure nothing happens. I don't trust—"

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Oliver; get over yourself. I should've said this to you years ago, but better late than never: I don't give a flying fuck about who you do or do not trust. **I'm Nyssa's fiancée** and I'm staying out of their business, I suggest you do the same"

He pursed his lips looking down at her with a frown "Look, if he snaps—"

"If anything happens, Mr. Queen, I am more than capable of taking care of my family" this time it was Nyssa who interrupted him "I am infinitely grateful to you for bringing Mr. Constantine here to help Saracon, but that is all that was required from you. This is not your precious city, your family, nor your fight"

"So, in terms you understand: back off, dude" the blonde said, shoving him back.

"Fine!" he said like a petulant child and turned around, walking in the exact opposite way.

Sara turned around to face her fiancée "I'll be right out the door if you need me"

Nyssa leaned forward to kiss her softly "I know, thank you"

"Shall we?" John Constantine asked opening the door that led to the basement.

"Yes" the brunette woman answered, turning around and following her mother and brother down the stairs, before the blonde man followed all three of them and closed the door.

Sara sighed and moved a hand to rub the back of her neck, looking at everyone else "Felicity, maybe you should go check on Oliver"

"Yeah, I'll get right on that" the other blonde nodded before walking away.

"Stay close by" she instructed after, looking at her three friends and former League members. All three of them nodded shortly in complete silence and did as instructed.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Tommy asked, nervously shifting his weight from one foot the the other "I'm kinda anxious"

"Yeah, me too" Thea added.

"Pizza run?" the man suggested looking at his sister.

"Yes! And beer, we're outta beer!" the young woman nodded enthusiastically.

Tommy looked at Sara waiting for an answer and she nodded with a smile "Take Sin and Roy with you"

"Okay" the man said, leaning forward to kiss his wife "Be right back, sweetheart"

"Ice cream!" Laurel shouted to the four retreating figures, making her husband laugh.

"How could I forget the ice cream?"

"Where do you want us?" Dig asked rubbing his hands together.

"Out of the house with the baby. Go take a walk on the beach or something"

"No, no way, Sara" the man shook his head.

"Dig, we don't know what's gonna happen, it could get dangerous"

"All the more reason to stay"

She sighed frustrated "Look, Dig—"

"I can take Sara to the beach so Johnny can stay here" Lyla suggested.

"There you go" John said satisfied with that option.

"Okay, fine!" she said even more frustrated than before "Do whatever you want!" she let her body slide down the wall next to the basement door and sat down on the floor, playing nervously with the collapsed bō staff in her hand "Crap like this makes me miss the League" she mumbled to herself.

Laurel sat down next to her as they watched Lyla take a happy baby Sara out to the beach and Dig move to lean on the wall across from them "Why?"

"Look at them" the blonde said jerking her head in her friends' direction "One command, that's all it took. No arguing, no fighting, fully trusting. That's the way we were; the way we are with each other"

"Like soldiers" Dig remarked with a smile.

"Kinda, yeah"

"You? No arguing?" her older sister snorted "That can't be true"

"It is" Sara nodded and looked at her hands as she kept playing with her bō "There was a chain of command. An established hierarchy, Laurel. A real one. And not like at home, where if we spoke up to mom or dad we got grounded. In the League, if you spoke outta place or disobeyed Ra's al Ghul, you were punished **for real** " the blonde chuckled to herself "Trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way"

Laurel grimaced and decided not to ask for specifics "Nyssa was like that, too?"

"At first, yes. She always had to in front of her father, you know? That's what she was taught. But as she got older, she started seeing things in a different light" she smiled and looked at her sister "She backhanded me once for contradicting her in front of her father"

"The hell?!" the woman asked alarmed, which made Sara and Dig laugh "I thought you said she started seeing things differently"

"Trust me, better her than him"

"Still, Sara!"

"Laurel, you need to understand the way things worked there. She did it to protect me from him. After the first couple times Ra's decided to 'reminded me of my place' she started to beg for me to stop talking back, to keep my snarky comments to myself. Most of the times I did, for her" she smiled, not particularly displeased with her usual attitude "I can take a beating just fine, but I just can't stand the look on her face whenever she sees me get hurt; it's heartbreaking" the blonde continued her explanation "But I couldn't really help it that time, and when she saw him twitch as if to smack me, she beat him to it and backhanded me"

"This whole thing is so beyond fucked up"

"It was worth it. One…" she explained holding one finger up "...no rings on her fingers. Have you seen his? Those hurt like a mother fucker, I would know. Two…" she added a second finger "...I could tell she held back, though it did cut my lip. And three…" third and final finger "...I got the 'I'm-so-sorry-beloved-please-forgive-me' sex that night. It was fan-fucking-tastic"

Her older sister couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her after hearing that "What about them?" she asked then, looking at the three former assassins.

"They were all smarter than me" Sara smirked.

"Why do they listen to you like that. Are you really royalty, like they said?"

"Nah; not really" she answered shaking her head "We were Nyssa's team. There are some others, but we thought that fill this house with even more assassins was not particularly a good idea with holier-than-thou Oliver walking around. They listen and respect me the same way I listen and respect them"

"You said you guys were Nyssa's team, as if that should mean something"

"It means we are friends" she winked at Z, who tried to make it look like he was not listening to their conversation "Nyssa had to play the part in front of her father, we all had to, actually; but when we were out on a mission together, that was a different story. She always listened to all of us, as long as we didn't disrespect each other, and treated us as equals. Nyssa shared her plans and asked for our opinion, and even allowed herself to have fun with us from time to time" she smiled when she noticed Z try to hide his own smile "Her father would've never allowed that, but we all respect her even more because of it; she always treated us like **people** and not just human weapons at her disposal, you know? Some even gave their lives for her; I literally stood in front of a grenade to shield her"

"You what?!" her older sister squeaked.

"Boy, did I get yelled at after that one. It was the first and only time I heard Nyssa curse. That's actually how I learned to curse in Arabic" she chuckled and shook her head "But I was lucky, I only got some shrapnel on the back of my leg; some lost their lives. She will never forgive herself for that and I don't think she'll ever stop having nightmares, and neither will I. She remembers every single man and woman from her team who died. Even the stupid ones"

Michael snorted and immediately looked down trying to cover it. Laurel looked up at him and suddenly noticed the scars that adorned his legs now that he was wearing board shorts and she had his legs at eye level. She shifted her gaze to the other two, noticing the exact same thing, and felt a growing respect for them.

"It is disrespectful to laugh at the expense of our fallen teammates. Especially those who fell in battle" Mesi scolded him.

"I'm sorry" the man shook his head "I'm not laughing at his expense, I just…" he looked at Sara smiling "...remembered why Sara used to refer to him in that way"

"In what way?" Dig asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"The stupid one" Michael said smiling.

The blonde woman laughed and shrugged "Well, he was!"

"Why?" Laurel asked and all four former assassins smiled.

"Kid had the biggest crush on Nyssa" Sara chuckled "I mean, I've seen people pining after her, it was not unusual. But this kid wouldn't give up. He even had the guts to challenge me to a duel to prove he was worthy of her love"

"You can't be serious" Dig said laughing and the blonde nodded.

"Totally serious. Nyssa pushed him off the boat" Sara said laughing "Goodtimes"

"He complained about that for days" Mesi added smiling fondly at the memory.

"What happened to him?" Dig asked frowning.

"He died" the blonde responded curtly, her tone indicating there would be no further details.

After a few minutes of complete silence, they were startled by a loud rustling sound coming from behind the closed door. Dig moved forward, but Sara stopped him immediately, placing one finger over her lips signaling them to be quiet.

There was some chanting from Constantine followed by some more rustling, a loud grunt and an agonizing scream from Saracon. Then everything went quiet again.

Both Lance sisters exchanged a concerned look, but Sara shook her head and said "She knows I'm here. If she needs me, she'll let me know. We barge in and interrupt whatever's going on there and we might screw everything up"

Laurel nodded and leaned back against the wall "So, um, did you get…"

"It's upstairs" her sister answered the unasked question with a smirk.

"Thanks"

Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened and Lourdes walked out running her fingers through her sweaty hair. She looked at Sara and nodded toward the open door "Something happened. She needs you"


	22. Twenty-three Seconds

**Chapter 22: Twenty-three Seconds**

Face filled with worry and fear, the blonde didn't waste a single second to ask what was going on, practically jumping down the stairs instead.

She found Saracon lying on the floor, a weird symbol drawn around his limp body. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily, sporting a deep red stain that looked a lot like blood across his bare chest, with no visible wound.

The second thing she noticed was her fiancée sitting on the floor, her back resting against the wall, breathing as heavily as Saracon was, with her hands covered in what, she was sure now, was obviously blood.

She rushed to her side, kneeling in front of her and taking her blood stained hands in hers "Nyssa?"

The woman kept staring at her hands and started to shake when she felt the blonde's touch.

"Nyssa, babe?"

Still nothing but the shaking, and eventually some quick glances away from her hands and into those familiar bright blue eyes.

"Keep talking to her" John Constantine instructed when he noticed the movement of her eyes "She seems to be reacting to you. Her mother tried to touch her and found herself flying across the room. I got punched" he explained, rubbing the left side of his jaw.

Sara sat next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her close at the same time she kissed and nuzzled the woman's temple. She swallowed hard and looked up at the blonde British man "What happened?"

"True to her word, she kept her family safe"

The blonde growled deep in her chest "That doesn't answer shit, so you better start getting very specific real soon if you don't want me to rip your fucking head off"

"Easy there, luv, we're all on the same side" he took a step back, holding his hands up, palms out facing her.

"The only side I'm on is hers" she said through gritted teeth "Start explaining"

He sighed and nodded "Do you remember anything from your experience?"

"Everything"

"I had to take the three of them to a similar plane where we would be able to do what had to be done without killing him. The Ashkiri don't mess around, luv; part of the heart that changed him attached itself to his own ticker" the man pointed at his own chest to illustrate what he was saying "I didn't know that could even happen. The mother, she tried, but the pain was too much for her, so your bird here told me she would do it all by herself and pushed her mother away" he explained under the other woman's gaze and pointed at Saracon "He begged her to do it and get it over with before we ran out of time, so while I was focusing on keeping them there, she ripped that bloody heart out of this bloke's chest with her bare hands and crushed it right before my eyes. It was the cursed heart and not his, but the pain was very real"

"Holy shit" Sara gasped looking down at her fiancée's bloody hands "Is she still there...?"

"No. She's here with us, safe. Just in shock, I presume. Either that or this is a side effect"

"So, basically, what you're saying is that you don't know what the fuck is going on" Sara's angry, demanding tone made him flinch and take another step back.

"Not like I have dealt with this situation before, luv"

"If something happens to her, I'm going to kill you. And I don't mean figuratively. I'm going to, very literally, kill you. Slowly"

John swallowed hard and winced again, then decided to continue, mostly to fill the dangerous, uncomfortable silence "We have no way to know what touching the thing might've caused"

"I do" Saracon whispered weakly before Sara could get up and take her fear frustration out on the other man "She saw… s-he saw everything a-and felt m-my pain"

"You need to rest, mate"

"Is—is Ny-ssa alright?" the man tried to sit up, but his arm gave and he fell back, one hand rubbing his sore chest.

"She's fine, Saracon, I've got her" Sara reassured him, and he sighed in relief at hearing her voice sound calmer, even if it was a little bit.

"Thank you, Sara" he whispered before passing out.

The blonde woman looked at John "Call Dig, Z and Mike. Tell them to get Saracon upstairs" the man nodded and walked upstairs to gather the men.

Less than a minute later, the four men were carrying a still unconscious Saracon up the stairs.

"Nyssa" Sara whispered once they were alone, kissing her temple again "Baby, it's over. Saracon is alright, so is your mom" she heard a shaky intake of breath and half smiled "It's over. You did it. Very stupid of you to do it all by yourself, but it's over now" she repeated soothingly "C'mon, babe, I'm here waiting for you. Fight whatever is keeping you from me and come back"

The brunette clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly shut. She was still shivering, so Sara started rubbing her back in case she was cold "I've got you, Nys. Do it for me. Fight" she kissed the woman's temple once more, letting her lips linger as she tried to hold back a sob "I know you're here and can hear me, stop ignoring your fiancée, that's not very nice of you. C'mon baby, I need you. You want me to beg? I'll beg" she felt a single tear roll down her cheek and knew any hope she had to hide her growing desperation was now gone; so she closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely while whispering into the woman's ear over and over for a few long, agonizing minutes "Please, Nyssa. I love you, baby, please"

"Sara Lance does not beg"

The unusually weak, rough voice startled her and Sara opened her eyes, staring at her fiancée who was staring back at her now with a tired half smile on her lips "She does if it brings you back"

Nyssa carefully leaned forward and kissed her softly, closing her eyes and sighing "Thank you" she whispered as she opened her eyes again.

The blonde shook her head and blinked back some more tears "Are you okay?"

She tried to smile and said in a raspy, tired voice "I have been better"

Sara chuckled and helped her fiancée wrap one of her arms over her shoulders before carefully pulling her up "Can you walk or do I have to carry you upstairs?"

"Those fools shall see me dead before they ever witness you carrying me again"

* * *

"Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you please come out here?"

"What's up?" the blonde asked walking out of the bathroom and into their bedroom, towel drying her hair.

"Is there something you wish to tell me?" Nyssa asked arching one eyebrow as she held up a boxed pregnancy test.

Sara smirked hooking the towel over her shoulder and readjusting her shorts "Yeah, I wanted to see if you are **that** good"

"I would leave the jokes for a different time, beloved" the brunette warned her seriously "Such as one where I am not seriously considering punching you, for instance"

"You are so weak you can barely lift your arm to hold that box, I doubt you could punch me right now" the blonde chuckled and walked forward, standing between her fiancée's legs, who was sitting on the edge of their bed, and bending down to kiss her softly "It's not for me, babe" she took the box out of the woman's hand and tossed it on the bed, grabbing Nyssa's hands and placing them on her own hips "It's for Laurel, but you can't say anything"

"Is Laurel pregnant?" the woman asked in a shocked whisper.

"Guess we'll find out soon" she smiled and bent down to kiss her again "Did you truly think that was for me?" when Nyssa only shrugged, she laughed again "Babe, I would never cheat on you"

"I know that, habibti. However, it has been, what? Two, three months, since your return?"

"Three months exactly, now that I think of it"

Nyssa half smiled and arched an eyebrow as she looked up at the blonde "Perhaps you brought 'something back' from your time-traveling days. Other than yourself, I mean" she smirked and used her thumbs to rub Sara's hips "Irregular as you are, I don't believe you have had your period in the past three months"

"Huh" the blonde frowned realizing Nyssa was right "But, still—"

"Sara, I do know you" the brunette interrupted her smiling.

"Okay…?" she frowned confused "And that means…?"

"That I know Mr. Snart and nurse Carlisle could not have been the only ones you were involved with in ten years"

"Oh. Um..."

"It is alright, I know you intended to spare my feelings at the time and I appreciate that" the brunette reassured her laughing "But, like I said before, I would not expect you to be alone for ten years. In fact, I would not want you to"

Sara took a few minutes as she looked into her fiancée's eyes, finding nothing but honesty and understanding in them, then smiled "I'm not pregnant, tho"

"Are you certain? With your complexion, you could be and still not show at three months"

"Yes!" the blonde chuckled, smacking the other woman's arm "There's **no way** I could be pregnant"

"Alright" Nyssa nodded still smiling.

"You can't tell anyone about Laurel, she'll kill me" Sara warned her going back to their previous, safer—for her—topic "She wants to be sure before she tells Tommy"

"My lips are sealed" the brunette smiled and nodded.

"Okay" the blonde took a step back and reached for the pregnancy test, giggling excitedly as she skipped to the door "I'll go see if we're gonna be aunts!"

"Do me a favor?"

"Mm?" she paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"Put a shirt on, Sara"

The blonde looked down at her bra clad torso and turned around "Oops"

* * *

"Now?"

"No"

"What about now?"

"Sara, I swear to God…"

"Well, how long is this crap supposed to take?!"

"Two minutes"

"How long it's been?"

"Twenty-three seconds"

"Dammit!"

"I'm starting to think asking you to be here with me was the worst idea I've ever had, and I used to date Oliver"

Sara snorted and folded her arms "You wanted sisterly moral support"

"And yet, I've got you acting like a bored six year old"

"I'm just doing it so you start getting used to it"

Laurel rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall "You're doing it 'cause you're a pain"

"Whatever!" she huffed and kept staring at the stick lying on the counter.

"Staring at it won't make time go faster"

"You don't know that"

Laurel sighed and looked at the floor "Do you think Tommy will be happy if—I mean, I don't even know—"

"Are you kidding me?" her younger sister asked smiling "Laurel, have you seen him with Damian?"

"Yeah" she answered smiling, too "It was pretty cute"

"He'll be a great dad. And I've never seen anyone as in love as that poor bastard is with you" Sara said smiling and went to stand next to her sister, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

Laurel sighed again and nodded "Kinda like you and Nyssa?"

"Yeah, but we're like, way cooler and totally badass"

"Of course"

"Glad we got that cleared out"

Laurel's phone started beeping and both sisters looked at each other expectantly "You do it, I can't"

"I hafta touch the pee stick?!"

"Sara, please?"

"Fine!" the youngest moved to the counter, keeping her back to her sister and picking up the test, trying to figure it out "So…" she started nonchalantly "...would it be weird to have three Sara's in the family? I mean, if it turns out to be a girl…" she turned around and leaned back against the counter, facing her sister "...it is a pretty name, after all"

Laurel pushed herself off the wall "Are you saying…?"

"That I'm gonna be the coolest aunt ever? Hell yeah!" Sara said grinning.

Her older sister rushed to her side and took the test from her hands "Oh my God, I'm—I'm gonna be a mom"

"Yup!"

"Tommy and I are having a baby"

"You okay?"

Laurel looked up at her, a soft smile forming on her lips, and threw her arms around her sister's neck, hugging her tightly and giggling "I'm gonna have a baby!"

Sara chuckled and hugged her back just as tightly "Yes, you are"

"Hey, I don't know what you're doing in there, and I don't wanna know, but I really need to pee!" Tommy shouted knocking on the door "I had like five beers, so this is kinda urgent"

Laurel shoved the test in her back pocket and looked at her sister "I'll let the poor man pee before I turn his whole world upside down"

* * *

"How are you feeling?" the blonde asked as she entered their room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Nyssa looked up from her book and smiled "Like I've got my heart ripped out of my chest. This time quite literally"

Sara winced and sat on her side of the bed facing the other woman "Do you wanna talk about what happened?"

The brunette remained silent for a few long seconds contemplating her options before shaking her head "No, but thank you, beloved"

"You sure? I won't insist. If you say you don't want to, then I'll leave it at that; but I got really scared down there, babe"

"I apologize" she said sincerely "It was never my intention to frighten you"

Sara moved to sit closer to her fiancée and cupped her cheek "You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just happy I've got you back" she said smiling softly "Maybe you should talk to Saracon about it? He told me, right before he passed out, that you experienced some stuff…?"

"Yes" Nyssa nodded shortly.

"Well…" the blonde shrugged "...maybe you can talk to each other about it. Shouldn't hurt to try, right? And he needs someone who understands what he was going through. He still looks kinda pale and shaky"

"Getting your heart ripped out of your chest by your sister might do that to you" her fiancée said smiling softly "I shall talk to him soon, thank you"

"No problem"

"Speaking of siblings…"

"Oh, yeah!" Sara exclaimed startling the other woman "Mine is totally knocked up!"

Nyssa grinned widely and sat up straighter "She is?"

"Yeah!"

"How did she take it?"

"Well, she was seriously freaking out at first, but when I told her it was positive she got happy and hugged me, so that's a good sign, right?"

The brunette shrugged and nodded "As far as pregnancy related reactions can be, I believe it was"

"I was kinda thinking…" Sara started and trailed off, nervously looking around the room.

"Mhm?"

"Now that we kinda fixed all the deal with Saracon, we're pretty good, right?" she started chewing on her lip.

The brunette frowned in confusion "I believe we always were, regardless of his state"

"Yeah, yeah…" Sara agreed with a dismissive wave of her hand "...but that had both of us kinda stressed and on edge"

"Yes"

"But not so much anymore"

Nyssa frowned in confusion, tilting her head as she stared at the nervous blonde woman sitting in front of her "Sara, where are you going with this?"

"What if we get married?" Sara asked all of a sudden, and her fiancée's confused frown deepened "We never set a date, so what if we get married? Like, now" she clarified.

The brunette gasped in shock, eyes wide open "Now?"

"Yeah…" she shrugged "...why not?"

Nyssa remained silent while contemplating it, making the blonde grow more nervous with every passing second "Here?" she asked.

"Can you honestly think of a better place?" Sara asked smiling "It's beautiful, our home—one of 'em, anyway—and half our friends and family are here already"

"Your sister will attempt to murder you due to your spontaneity"

"She'll get over it" the blonde shrugged "Sides, she has her own shit to deal with right now"

"True"

"Babe, I can't help but notice that you are avoiding answering my question and it's making me really nervous. You having second thoughts or something?"

Nyssa smiled and leaned forward, hooking her hand on the back of her fiancée's neck and pulling her closer to kiss her slowly "I want nothing more than to marry you as soon as possible, Sara Lance"


	23. Of Spiders & Mean Wedding Planners

**Chapter 23: Of Spiders & Mean Wedding Planners**

"Wait, you can't be serious" when Sara only shrugged and readjusted her ponytail, Laurel turned to look at the other woman sitting with them at the beach "Nyssa?"

"Yes?"

"Is she serious?"

"About what? The wedding or trying surfing?" she turned to look back in the direction of the house and spotted Roy approaching them with two surfboards "Nevermind. I believe both are"

"What is your problem with doing things the normal way?!"

"You should be used to it by now" the blonde shrugged again and stood up when she saw Roy standing next to them "I love the woman, I wanna marry her as soon as I can" she took the board he was handing her and looked down at her sister one last time "You don't even need to go find something to wear. Beach wedding. Just wear what you're wearing now and you'll be good"

"I'm wearing a bikini"

"Exactly" she jerked her head in the direction of the ocean and the young man smirked and nodded before running after her with his own surfboard.

Laurel turned to look at Nyssa "So, this is really happening then?"

The brunette laughed and nodded as she tugged on the visor of Sara's Rockets cap she was currently wearing "Captain Lance and Mrs. Smoak are taking the train to Central City tonight"

"For what?"

"Talia offered to make a stop there on her way here. Both your parents, with their significant others, of course, will board her jet and fly here together"

They interrupted their conversation when they saw Sara fly off her board, hitting the water hard and at a weird angle, only to reappear a few seconds later shouting "I'm okay!"

Both of them laughed before Laurel pointed out, going back to their previous topic "That's very generous of her"

"I don't know how, or when it happened, but Talia is quite different from the woman I knew growing up" Nyssa admitted.

Laurel frowned and pursed her lips "You think a certain time-traveling bird had something to do with that?"

"Oh, no…" the woman shook her head "...I do not think so. I am absolutely positive that was the case"

They laughed again and Laurel turned to look at her "If anything, it proves how much she loves you"

"It does" the brunette nodded with an easy smile.

"I know you love her just as much"

"I do"

"And not that you or Sara need any kind of approval from anyone to do whatever you want with your lives, but, for what is worth, you have mine. I'm really happy you're marrying my baby sister, I've never seen her as happy as she is with you"

Nyssa looked at her smiling softly "Thank you, Laurel. You have no idea what those words mean to me"

The other woman scooted closer and rested her head on her shoulder "Well, it's true. I'm still mad that she is talking you into doing this kinda crap outta nowhere, tho"

The brunette laughed and shrugged "Her spontaneity has always been one of the things I love the most about her. She balances my deep rooted need to plan every move"

"Yeah, that I figured" Laurel chuckled "And I can see how you ground her, so you balance each other out"

Nyssa nodded and smiled "So, how did it go with your husband?"

Laurel moved back and eyed her up and down suspiciously, gasping when the other woman smirked and arched an eyebrow "You know?"

"I know"

"I'm gonna kill her" she said looking at her sister.

"It was not entirely her fault; I found the pregnancy test and was ready to punch her, so I believe I left her no choice"

The explanation made the other woman chuckle wholeheartedly and nod in agreement "Yeah, she was screwed" she smiled softly remembering Tommy's reaction "He's so happy, Nyssa. I was definitely not expecting that reaction"

"And you? Are you happy?"

"Like you wouldn't believe" Laurel said smiling.

"May I ask for a favor?"

"Always"

"Please, don't name the baby Sara if it's a girl. I'm positive she must have already suggested it"

Laurel scoffed "Like we need **three** of those running around. Dig and Lyla already made that mistake, those suckers"

Right after she said that, a giggling toddler dressed in a red bikini ran past them in the direction of the water before her father even noticed, giving her a good headstart before he could try to chase her.

"See what I mean?"

Nyssa laughed and quickly jumped up, easily catching up with the toddler and scooping her up in her arms "And where do you think you are going, young lady?" she asked laughing.

Baby Sara giggled when her aunt kissed and tickled her exposed belly, holding Nyssa's face in her tiny hands to stop her "Swimming!"

The brunette woman gasped in mock shock "All by yourself?"

"Yeah!"

Nyssa looked at Diggle and nodded smiling to let him know she would keep an eye on his daughter "You know you are not supposed to do that, sweetie, it's dangerous"

"Auntie Sara and uncle Roy are doin' it" she shrugged pointing at the two.

"That sounded so wrong" Laurel pointed out smirking, getting a glare from Nyssa "I'll shut up now" she added pursing her lips, trying not to laugh.

"Yes, but they are adults. If you wish to go swimming, you need an adult to go with you"

Baby Sara huffed frustrated—and a little bit annoyed—and rolled her eyes.

"What's going on with this nugget?" Sara asked as she walked out of the water, leaving her board on the sand.

"Ms. Sara Diggle decided to go swimming unsupervised" Nyssa explained, shifting her hold on the toddler so she had her resting on her hip now.

"Is that so?" the blonde asked with faked seriousness.

"Yeah!"

"Stubborn, aren't we?"

"Yeah!"

"C'mere!" Sara said laughing and reaching for the toddler, holding her by the waist from behind.

She quickly lifted her over her head so baby Sara could sit on her shoulders, making her shriek "You're cold!"

The blonde chuckled and held the toddler's legs "Is your tiny butt getting cold?"

"Yeah!" she shouted playing with Sara's wet ponytail.

"Well, you wanted to go swimming. The water is cold, better get that tiny butt used to it now"

"Okay" she said and patted the top of the blonde's head "Let's go!"

Both women chuckled and Sara asked "Can I kiss auntie Nys before we go?"

Baby Sara huffed again, clearly exhausted with all the grown ups already "Why?"

"'Cause I love her and I missed her"

"Fine" she said frustrated, elongating the word for a more dramatic effect.

Sara laughed and leaned forward, turning the cap Nyssa was wearing around and smiling when her fiancée took a hold of her waist before kissing her softly. She prolonged the kiss a little more than necessary, and baby Sara seemed to notice, because soon enough, she had one hand on each of the women's foreheads and was pushing them apart, making them laugh again.

"Party pooper" Sara said poking the toddler's thigh, which made her giggle "One day, you're gonna want to kiss someone, too, and I'll be there to push you apart"

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, you will" she reaffirmed, walking to the water.

"Nuhuh! Gross!"

Nyssa smiled and resumed her previous position, sitting next to Laurel as they watched Tommy run as fast as he could all the way down the beach to join both Sara's, splashing water everywhere.

"You better be wearing sunscreen!" Laurel shouted loud enough for her husband to hear.

The man just turned to look at her and nodded, giving her two thumbs up.

"You are aware he is lying" the brunette observed amused.

"Of course, but this way, tonight when he is a sorry excuse of a whining shrimp, I can tell him 'I told you so' before giving him that lotion you guys make; and we all know how much I enjoy saying that"

* * *

"I told you so, Tommy"

"Laurel, please"

"I warned you"

"Why do you have to take so much pleasure outta my misery?"

"Well, she's gotta get it somewhere, right?" Sara smirked and shrugged.

"Stay out of this" her sister warned her.

The younger woman laughed and wrapped her arms around her fiancée's waist, pulling her closer to her body to be able to hug her from behind without having to move from her seat.

"You want me to beg?" Tommy asked.

"Actually, I would enjoy seeing that" Oliver pointed out from the other couch, raising his hand.

"Shut up, man"

Felicity looked up from her tablet and nudged her boyfriend's leg with her foot "Don't be mean, he's suffering both from sunburn and Laurel's ego"

"Hey!"

"Well, she's not wrong" Sara pointed out when her sister protested.

"Okay, people, listen up!" Thea shouted walking down the stairs with a yellow pad and a pen in her hands.

She looked around and nodded to herself when she saw everyone gathered between the living room and the kitchen. Noticing her hot-pink brother she paused and frowned "What the hell happened to you?"

"I forgot the sunscreen"

"To go where? Hell?" she scoffed and reached for the small tube of lotion sticking out of Laurel's back pocket, tossing it for him to catch; which he did "You have exactly four days to start looking at least relatively normal, or you'll ruin all the pictures. I'm pretty sure you glow in the dark right now"

"Thank you!" he said almost crying as he started to apply the lotion.

"Now!" the young woman started again looking around "I'm in charge of planning, cause I said so and no one objected. And, let's face it, I'm obviously your best option if we wanna pull this off in four days" she paused to look at Sara and Nyssa, who smiled and nodded encouragingly "So, you two…" she pointed at the couple with her pen "...only thing I need you to do is pick whatever you wanna wear, choose your wedding bands if you want them, and keep it quiet when you have sex so the rest of us can sleep"

Nyssa blushed furiously and the blonde laughed "I was serious before with the clothes, tho, beachwear. Whatever you wanna wear, I don't care. I'll be wearing a bikini if I can convince Nyssa, and we all know I will, so plan accordingly"

"Color?" Thea asked tapping the end of the pen to her lips.

"Dunno" Sara shrugged.

"White for Sara, red and black for Nyssa" Laurel said tilting her head as she stared at the two women.

"Yes!" Thea snapped her fingers and pointed at Laurel grinning "That's what I'm talking about, baby!" she started scribbling something down.

"I did not agree to that" Nyssa pointed out arching one eyebrow.

"You will" Laurel stated matter of factly.

"How could you possibly know that?"

The eldest Lance looked at her sister with a smirk "What underwear are you wearing?"

Sara laughed and reached for her waist, slightly pulling down her shorts on one side to answer her sister's question.

Thea scoffed and looked at the brunette "You're so screwed, you will agree tonight. Remember to keep it down"

Then she began pairing people up and reading from her list, handing down several tasks that needed to be taken care of before Nyssa could protest again.

After several minutes of debating, ending with Thea shouting for everyone to shut up and do as she says, she finished with the last task "Oh, and last but not least, there's a huge spider in one of the bathrooms upstairs that kept staring at me while I peed, so if someone can take care of that—"

Nyssa quickly untangled herself from her fiancée's embrace "Burn the whole house to the ground" she said over her shoulder as she rushed out the back door.

"Okay…?" Thea frowned looking at the former assassin as she walked down the stairs leading to the beach as fast as she could "What was that all about?"

Sara smiled softly when she noticed Lourdes and Saracon were trying not to laugh "She's afraid of spiders"

"I believe her suggestion of burning down the house was serious" Lourdes observed giggling.

"Oh, it totally was" Sara nodded her agreement "It's not the first time she comes up with that solution to deal with a spider situation"

* * *

Sara walked into the kitchen area and grabbed an apple from the bowl full of fruit. Sitting on the counter, she took a bite and looked at Thea "So, it took two nights instead of one, but that would be a 'hell yes' on the bikini front" she said while chewing.

The young woman grinned and winced at the same time "Of course; can't imagine how Nyssa could ever resist all that sexiness you have going on right now" she said, waving her hand in front of her and scoffed when the blonde stuck out her tongue full of tiny, half-chewed apple pieces.

"God, Sara, it's too early to be that disgusting" Laurel said rolling her eyes.

"It's never too early to annoy you"

"Sometimes I just hate you"

"You both love me" she waited and swallowed this time before speaking again "So, what are we doing today? And where is my beautiful fiancée?"

Thea leaned back against the counter and took a sip of her coffee "You and your beautiful fiancée will go get your wedding bands and whatever it is you convinced Nyssa to wear. You'll be escorted by Laurel and Lourdes so they make sure you do what you gotta do instead of wasting the whole day doing God knows what, like you did yesterday"

"As for Nyssa: she went to the airport" Laurel continued, looking at her phone for confirmation "Talia's jet just landed"

"They're here already?"

"Oh, no. She went there early to kill time, since we have nothing to do here" the young Queen looked at her in disbelief "It's less than three days before your wedding, Sara! Yes, they're here already!"

"Isn't the bride supposed to get special treatment instead of all this crap I'm getting?"

"You gave us four days to plan a wedding. You'll take what you can get, Lance, and you'll love it" Thea ordered glaring at her while Laurel laughed "You're going jewelry shopping, please look like an adult, go change"

The blonde looked down at her body, noticing she was only wearing a black bikini top and some torn cut out shorts and jumped off the counter "You are the meanest wedding planner ever!"

"What was that all about?" Lourdes asked entering the house through the back door.

"Sara doesn't approve of my methods" Thea explained "And I don't give a tiny rat's ass. I get results"

The woman laughed and reached for the yellow pad that was resting on the island counter, scribbling something down "Here's the address to pick it up. He said it should be ready in forty-eight hours. He can't deliver it, though, so we have to send some of the boys with a truck"

Thea leaned over the island counter on her elbows and grinned "Great! Thank you so much! I'll tell Ollie to rent a truck and take some of the guys with him when it's ready. How much—"

Lourdes shook her head smiling "Payment is already taken care of. How do you think I convinced him to go from a week to forty-eight hours?"

"I assumed natural hotness and incredible persuasion in Spanish? No? French?"

The woman laughed and blushed "No, dear"

"Who's hot?" Sara asked walking back into the kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks, cursing under her breath, looking down at her phone and swiping her thumb up repeatedly.

"Your future mother in law" Laurel smirked and took a sip of water.

"Yes! Gotcha little fucker!" her sister said, following it with a grunt, and looked up "What? God! Laurel, don't say that!"

"Well, where do you think Nyssa got it from?" Thea shrugged and Sara rolled her eyes "What did you catch there?" she asked with a smirk, nodding at her phone.

"None of your business"

"Are you still catching Pokémon?" Laurel asked in disbelief.

"It's a generational thing, you wouldn't understand" her sister stated smirking.

"You're less than three years younger than me"

"And don't you ever forget it" the blonde smirked at her older sister again before looking at Thea "There was a Dratini"

"And you didn't tell me?!" the younger woman reached for her phone "You suck so much, Sara! I thought we were in this together!" she waited for the app to load "If I missed it, I'll tell Felicity, and then I'll punch you and you'll sport a very fashionable black eye in all of your wedding photos" she frowned and bit her lip in concentration.

"You can try, but I'm pretty sure I can hold my own against you, Speedy"

"Nyssa trained me"

"So? She trained me, too" the blonde smirked "First, if I may add"

"Shut up!" Thea held one hand up and started swiping up, just like Sara was doing before "Dammit! Wait!" she repeated the action a few more times before clenching her fist "Yes!" looking up, she smiled at the blonde "Looks like you won't get your ass kicked today"

"Like you could take me"

Thea placed her phone down "Wanna go?"

"After you, cutie, hope you don't break a nail" Sara smirked, motioning to the back door.

"Oh, it's on, pigeon"

They both started walking to the door, but didn't get too far before Lourdes moved to stand in front of them, her arms folded and a disapproving look on her face "What do you two think you're doing?"

"Sparring" Thea answered innocently looking up at the woman, while Sara looked down at the floor.

"No, you are not. I know I'm not your mother but if I have to act like it, I will" the woman jerked her head in the kitchen's direction "Go back in there and finish breakfast. We all have a long day ahead of us"

Both young women looked up at her, then at each other, sighing at the same time and turning around to do as instructed.

"That was awesome" Laurel laughed.

"Shut up" her sister glared at her, walking to the coffee maker to pour herself some.

"I will not. I have to tell mom! By the way, weren't you supposed to change?"

"I did!" the blonde stated, resuming her previous position on the counter while Lourdes handed her and Thea a plate of pancakes "Thanks" she added, smiling at her.

"You put on a tank top and a pair of Chucks, that's not changing" Thea observed.

"You'll take what you can get, Queen, and you'll love it"

* * *

"You okay babe?" Sara asked looking at her fiancée once everyone else got out of the SUV they had rented.

Nyssa unfastened her seatbelt and leaned back on her seat, closing her eyes and resting her hands on the steering wheel "Yes"

The blonde unfastened her own seatbelt and turned in her seat to face the other woman "You sure?"

"I am" she smiled and turned her head to the right, opening her eyes and smiling directly at her fiancée "I am also quite tired and slightly overwhelmed. Bringing both our sisters and mothers along might have been a bit much"

Sara chuckled and nodded her agreement "Is there anything I can do to help you?" she leaned closer and kissed her softly.

"Those help"

"Yeah?" the blonde smiled and kissed her again, using her right hand to run her fingers through Nyssa's hair "Better?"

Nyssa moved her hand to the back of Sara's neck and pulled her closer again "I am not sure, maybe if we try one more time..."

The sound of knuckles and rings against the window startled them a couple of minutes later "C'mon, do I have to turn on the hose on you? Can't you keep it in your pants for a couple more hours?"

Sara jumped startled by Thea, accidentally honking when she placed her hand on the steering wheel to move away, making both, Thea and Nyssa, laugh "Shidt, I bidt my dtongue!"

The brunette started laughing even harder and rolled her window down "Is everything alright, Thea?"

"What's up with her?" the young woman asked, pointing at Sara who was touching her mouth and then looking at her fingers, checking for blood.

"She bit her tongue"

"Next time keep it in your mouth"

"Fuck you, Dthea"

"Maybe later. As for now…" she looked at Nyssa "...I'm pretty sure your sister is about to snap my brother's neck"

"Which brother?"

"Ollie"

The brunette shrugged "It was only a matter of time before someone did" she said nonchalantly, making Sara laugh.

"Nyssa, c'mon!"

"Alright, I shall intervene" she opened the door and got out of the car "But keep in mind I'm doing it for you, not him"

"Thank you!"

The three of them walked into the house, immediately spotting Talia glaring at a pissed, frowning Oliver "Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Queen"

"What's going on?" Sara asked stepping closer to them.

"I have been dying to meet the man who piqued father's interest and caused my sister so much unnecessary pain. So far, I am not impressed"

Nyssa looked around, noticing the fact that Sara's parents, along with her own mother, Damian, baby Sara, Sin and Laurel were nowhere in sight.

Felicity smiled at her and nodded in the direction of the back door "I told them to go see the pool deck and light up the grill. Laurel and Sin will keep them outside" she whispered.

"Thank you" the brunette whispered back.

"Is that why you came here?" Oliver asked taking a step closer.

"Excuse me?" Talia gasped and laughed at the same time, stepping forward in defiance "I am here because my sister is getting married, Mr. Queen, don't flatter yourself" she turned to look at Nyssa with a smirk on her face "You never mentioned his delusions of grandeur where of this magnitude"

"Hey, listen, you have a problem—"

And that's when time froze for Sara and Nyssa as they watched Oliver reach over and grab Talia's arm to make her look at him.

They saw Talia close her hand into a tight fist and a man they didn't notice before, stand up from the couch and move as if to separate them. Nyssa reached out just in time to pull Felicity away from the danger zone, while Sara did the same with Tommy.

And just as it froze, it unfroze when Talia's fist connected with Oliver's jaw, knocking him down in an instant.

The woman looked down at him with cold, dangerous eyes "Don't you dare touch me ever again, Mr. Queen"

Oliver jumped to his feet but before he could even say something, the man who was attempting to separate them grabbed his shoulders and held him back, looking into his eyes "As you can see, she can take care of herself, Mr. Queen; but let me make this perfectly clear: if you ever touch her again, I will personally make sure that's the last thing you do" he spat angrily, then turned to look at Talia, his expression softening "Don't you think that was a bit excessive? We are here for your sister and soon to be sister in law, not for you to pick fights with random vigilantes. I thought that was something you reserved exclusively for Gotham"

Talia had no choice but to smile at the man after the last part, making him smile in return "My apologies, Mr. Queen. Bruce is right, I did not come here to fight you, I am here for Nyssa and Sara" she turned to look at both women "I apologize for my behavior"

Her sister nodded and smiled back, then looked at Oliver "Are you alright?"

She noticed as Felicity elbowed him before he nodded and said "Yes. And I'm sorry for my hostility, Talia. It wasn't my intention to insult you"

"Yes, it was" she corrected him still smiling "But it is good to see you have a strong, reasonable woman by your side to set you straight"

"So…" Sara said, changing the subject and looking at the tall man standing next to Oliver "...Bruce, huh?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry…" he walked closer to them and shook her hand, then Nyssa's "...Bruce Wayne"

"Uh, 'Wayne' as in 'Damian Wayne'?" the blonde asked arching one eyebrow.

The man laughed and nodded "Yes, I'm Damian's father"

"Excuse me. Um, 'Wayne' as in Gotham's 'Wayne Enterprises'?" Felicity asked.

"Ah, also yes"

Nyssa smiled politely "Thank you for being here, Mr. Wayne"

"My pleasure, thank you for having me. And you can call me Bruce, we're practically family" he said with a wink.

Felicity approached him and Nyssa, and soon the three of them were engaged in conversation, leaving Sara free to ask Talia what she had been dying to ask her since the man said his name "So, you tapping that again?"


	24. This Is It

**Chapter 24: This Is It**

"Can't sleep?"

"No, you?"

"Nope" Sara smiled and slowly walked down the stairs, breathing deeply the pre-dawn cool air and sighing contentedly when her bare feet came in contact with the sand.

The brunette sitting a few feet ahead of her looked back in her direction with a sweet smile, patting the sand to her right with one hand, inviting her to sit down.

She walked to her slowly, enjoying every step before sitting down and bending her legs. Resting her arms on her knees and her head on Nyssa's shoulder, she closed her eyes and said, barely above a whisper "I love you"

The other woman smiled and rested her cheek on the blonde's head "And I you, Sara"

The first hints of the fast approaching dawn started to appear on the horizon. Scattered soft speckles of color painted the dark sky, separating it from the just as dark ocean.

Sara sighed again, and her fiancée wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close "Are you alright?" she asked, turning her head slightly to be able to see the blonde's expression.

A soft, easy smile illuminated her face and she nodded, opening her eyes and taking in the beautiful scene before them "After everything that happened, everything we've been through…" the blonde started, her voice unusually soft and quiet "…it's hard to believe we are finally here"

Nyssa remained silent, waiting patiently, knowing she wasn't over.

"For so long I had assumed and accepted my fate as 'Sara Lance: constant screw up'" she said followed by a chuckle, making the brunette laugh, too. She tilted her head up to look into the other woman's eyes "Never would've imagined that my biggest screw up would turn into the best thing that ever happened to me"

The brunette tilted her head to the side, bending down to kiss her softly before resuming their previous position.

Sara smiled into the kiss and took a deep breath, then looked ahead as a faint orange glow appeared on the horizon.

"If I had to go through everything again to ensure this, I would. In a heartbeat. And I do mean everything. The fear, the pain, the humiliation. Every wound, every heartbreak, every beating. If the past ten years taught me anything, is that some things are just meant to happen. Time wants to happen" her soft smile turned into a happy grin "You and I are one of those things, Nyssa. Time wants us to happen, or we wouldn't be here"

Nyssa smiled, waiting for a few moments, afraid to interrupt the blonde's thoughts, before speaking herself "Even if time did not want us to happen, stubborn as I am, I would still be here: fighting against it until my dying breath, to be able to have this moment with you. Brief as it may be" she took a deep breath and smiled softly, using her thumb to rub the exposed skin between Sara's shorts and black hoodie "I would, and will, do anything for you, Sara. You taught me the meaning of the word 'happiness', and I will be forever grateful and in your debt for that. Ups and downs, I regret absolutely nothing"

"Me neither"

The brunette smiled softly and kissed the top of her fiancee's hood covered head "I love you"

Sara shifted a little, leaving a soft kiss on the woman's neck "I love you, too, Nyssa" she smiled to herself and sighed, resuming her previous position "You know, that sounded a lot like vows to me"

Her observation made Nyssa laugh quietly "Indeed"

Both of them remained silent after that, snuggling and comfortably watching their last sunrise as single women together.

* * *

"Where's Sara?"

"Dunno"

"She's not outside and you're **literally** sitting in the middle of the living room. You should've seen her at least walk by"

"Think she's upstairs" Sin said shrugging and running her fingers through her hair.

"Okay, do you know why?" Thea asked, starting to lose her already thin patience.

"Makeup or hair or whatever"

"Your constant helpful disposition never ceases to amaze me" the young Queen said glaring at her friend.

"Look, your highness, you wanna know, go check yourself. I'm chillin' here away from everyone and you're kinda killin' the vibe right now"

Dinah, who overheard their conversation from the kitchen, laughed and decided to intervene "Honey, Sara is upstairs with Laurel finishing her makeup"

Thea glared at Sin one more time before turning to Dinah "Thank you"

"I'm going there now, do you need me to tell her anything?"

"Yeah, please tell her to hurry the hell up if she wants to get married before sunset"

The woman laughed and nodded as she walked up the stairs, disappearing at the top at the same time Nyssa walked in through the back door.

Thea and Sin looked her up and down, whistling and nodding appreciatively with big smiles on their faces. She was wearing a red bikini top with black bottoms, and had a black cover up wrapped around her waist, with a long slit that went all the way up her thigh. Her makeup was simple, only accentuating her dark eyes, giving her a very middle-eastern look that Sara always loved. She had her hair down and was currently pushed over her right shoulder, the soft, natural waves aiding to her casual, yet stunning, look.

"What?" she asked self consciously under their stares.

"You look amazing" Thea pointed out and Sin nodded in agreement "Sara's gonna love it"

Nyssa blushed and lowered her head, her hair falling over her face, hiding part of it "Thank you"

The young Queen walked up to her and held her chin up with her hand, looking her in the eye "None of that. This is your day, Nyssa. You're marrying the woman you love, and you look absolutely beautiful. Blushing and getting self conscious is forbidden; your wedding planner said so" she said with a cheeky grin "Enjoy this, you deserve it"

Just when she was about to answer and thank the younger woman again, something at the top of the stairs caught her eye and she looked up just in time to see her soon to be wife smiling down at her. She fell completely silent, every coherent thought leaving her brain, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

Sara was wearing a white bikini, with a lace, long sleeved cover up, that hung open from her shoulders and barely came down to her upper thigh. Her hair was neatly and carefully braided on the left side, the same way she was wearing it a few days ago on the Waverider, and her makeup accentuated her bright blue eyes and soft lips, making her current smile even more beautiful than usual.

She walked down the stairs followed by her sister and mother, standing a few feet in front of Nyssa and looking her up and down, just like Thea and Sin did before, but with a bright, extra sparkle in her eyes "Wow"

The brunette nodded her agreement, still not finding her voice, making her laugh.

Sara stepped closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Nyssa's left ear and cupping her cheek after "You look beautiful"

"So do you, beloved" the other woman finally whispered.

The blonde smiled and leaned forward to kiss her gently, forgetting they were surrounded by other people. Nyssa smiled and wrapped her arms around her waist when Sara rested her forehead on hers "You ready to do this?" when the brunette smiled and nodded, she kissed her one more time before pulling away.

"Okay…" Thea said, waiting until after their moment was over so as not to interrupt "...everyone's here already and having a great time. Talia didn't kill anyone —yet— and Felicity is doing a great job of keeping Oliver's mouth shut to ensure it stays that way. We have everything set up and Ray said he's ready whenever you are"

"I should let you know, beloved, your father is still complaining about not being allowed to walk 'his baby' down the aisle" Nyssa said smiling.

"There is no aisle" the blonde laughed shaking her head.

"That is what I so naÏvely pointed out. Suffice to say it only caused some more grumbling"

* * *

"Ready?" Ray asked in a low voice, leaning down to get closer to the two women standing in front of him.

"Hell yeah!" the blonde nodded enthusiastically, making him laugh.

"Nyssa?"

"Absolutely"

He smiled and clapped his hands once "Alright! For those of you who don't know me…" he started looking at the small crowd standing in front of him "...my name is Ray, I'm the guy these people call when they wanna get married"

Dig and Lyla looked at each other and laughed, making baby Sara laugh, too. The man wrapped his arm around his wife and child as they focused again on the two women standing under a wooden, beautifully carved wedding arch.

"However, this time, I got lucky enough to be asked to officiate the wedding of one of my best friends; who's marrying an amazing woman, if I may add, and I couldn't be happier about it"

Sara looked up at him and smiled in appreciation, then focused back on Nyssa, taking one of her hands in hers and staring into her eyes.

"I've never met two people who deserve complete and utter happiness more than these two women do, and I want to thank them both, again, for letting me be such an important part of their union"

Nyssa smiled softly and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from the other woman's face, using the movement to caress her cheek.

"Since I've been informed by Laurel earlier today that nothing about this particular process was ever 'normal'..." he said using air quotes, making everyone laugh "...I'm not really sure on how to proceed, so I'm gonna go with the basics" he looked at Sara, then at Nyssa before asking "Vows?"

The brunette woman smirked, arching one eyebrow as she looked into the blonde's eyes "Do you remember my words from this morning, habibti?" she asked, her smile softening when Sara chuckled and nodded in agreement and understanding.

"Do you remember mine?"

"How could I not?" Nyssa asked her, still smiling.

"Good, 'cause it's you and I, babe; this is it"

"Seriously? Those are your vows?" Laurel asked indignantly, standing a few feet away from them with Tommy's arm around her shoulders "See? Nothing normal!"

Everyone laughed, including both former assassins and Sara shrugged "We already said 'em in private"

"God forbid people hear you say you love the woman" the eldest Lance sister rolled her eyes.

Before the blonde could defend herself or Nyssa could make perfectly clear that she didn't actually need to hear the words, Lyla whispered something into her daughter's ear and lowered her down.

Baby Sara took off running and carefully climbed the small, wooden step that led to the wedding arch where both women and Ray were standing. She tugged softly on the cover up wrapped around Nyssa's waist to get her attention.

The woman laughed and bent down to pick her up, and as soon as she did, the toddler opened her tiny hand to show a set of identical wedding bands.

"Thank you, sweetie" Nyssa said before softly kissing her forehead, and took one of the rings. She leaned closer to the girl and whispered something in her ear, making baby Sara grin and nod.

"Here, auntie Sara" she said, turning with Nyssa's help and handing the blonde the remaining ring.

"Thank you" the woman chuckled and took a step closer to kiss her cheek before Nyssa lowered her down again.

Lyla knelt with her arms open and a big smile on her face as her daughter came back running and jumped into her arms, giggling "Good job, baby"

"I won't ask you all those usual wedding questions when we all know you already, and quite literally, delivered on all those promises implicitly made to each other years ago" Ray pointed out, then nodded to the blonde to proceed "So go ahead, we can see you're dying to" he said, making both women laugh.

"I love you, Nyssa" Sara said looking into the brunette's eyes "And I'm not just saying this for Laurel's benefit" she added laughing "I love you and will always do everything in my power to keep you happy" she reached forward and took Nyssa's left hand in hers, using her thumb to softly rub her ring finger before sliding the thin, vintage looking, diamond and platinum engraved ring in place.

The brunette smiled softly, reaching for the other woman's left hand to do the same "I love you, always have and always will" she said in Arabic, carefully sliding the ring into place, taking a few seconds to run her thumb over it and down Sara's finger "You and I" she added in English.

"You and I" the blonde repeated smiling, but she was the one to speak Arabic this time.

"By the power vested in me by you two, the Internet, a time master, and now the former head of the League of Assassins: I pronounce you partners in life, wife and wife, married, hitched, or any other term we all know Sara will probably come up with" they all laughed again and he frowned when the blonde looked at him expectantly "Oh! Right! Didn't think you'd need my encouragement for this part, actually: you may kiss"

Sara grinned, as her newly wife chuckled, and wrapped one arm around the woman's waist. Nyssa wrapped both her arms around her neck and bent slightly down to kiss her.

They kept kissing for a few moments while their family and friends clapped and cheered happily. Minus Laurel who was an awkward mess, crying and laughing at the same time.

The cheering turned into whistling when the kiss didn't end right away, and they both laughed as they parted, still keeping their foreheads together.

"I love you" Sara whispered, the tears that had been filling her eyes the whole time falling slowly.

Nyssa reached up to wipe the tears away with her thumbs. Then, she wiped her own ones and whispered back "And I you, beloved"

* * *

"I've got this, pretty boy"

"I told you I had it"

"Move"

"I'm perfectly capable of lighting a bonfire, you know? I've been stranded on an island for years"

"Yeah, that's probably why it's taking forever. Move, unless you wanna be a human torch"

"Oh, shit!" Sara handed her glass to Nyssa and jumped up, running and tackling Oliver just in time before Mick fired his gun, lighting the huge bonfire they had set up, in a matter of seconds.

"What the fuck, Mick?" she asked getting up and brushing sand off her body "I specifically said no weapons!"

The man shrugged and placed the end of his gun over his shoulder, a dazed look on his face as he stared at the flames "Never leave home without it"

Sara tried to hide her smile and held her hand out for Oliver, who immediately took it and allowed her to pull him up.

"Weirdo" the blonde mumbled as she passed him on her way back to her wife, making him roar with laughter.

"Takes one to know one, blondie"

"Touché" she sat down on the sand again, taking back the glass the brunette was holding out for her "Thanks"

Nyssa smiled and jerked her head in Mick's direction "That is a rather interesting choice of weapon"

"He's a pyro"

"Quite effective"

"Can't argue with that"

"Do you mind?" Talia asked walking up to them with Bruce standing a few feet behind her.

"Not at all" her younger sister said smiling and motioning with her hand for them to join them.

The woman smiled back and sat down in front of them, actually surprising Sara, who just assumed she would stand there and be her socially awkward self.

The man carefully sat down next to Talia and handed her one of the drinks he was holding "Congratulations, again" he said addressing both newlyweds with a charming smile.

Sara and Nyssa smiled and thanked him, before the blonde looked at Talia "I feel like I should congratulate you too"

"Me? What for?"

Jerking her head in Bruce's direction, she smirked and said "Doing that. Again" then she looked at him "Damn, man"

Bruce chuckled and shook his head "Is that a compliment?"

"Well, yeah!"

"Thank you, then"

"You just got married to my sister, Sara"

"Don't mind me, I actually agree with her" Nyssa stated, hiding her smirk by lifting her glass to her lips.

Talia frowned and deadpanned "Then I have to admit: your sexuality confuses me"

"My sexuality is not for you, or anyone else, for that matter, to understand; it only needs to be clear to me and the woman I chose to spend my life with. But if truly intrigues you: I do feel exclusively attracted to women. The fact that I find him visually appealing does not imply a personal desire to sleep with him"

"I would be up for the challenge" Bruce said laughing and winking conspiratorially at Nyssa.

"And I would literally kill you" the blonde intervened, her face completely serious.

"This conversation is starting to make me uncomfortable"

"Your started it!" Sara laughed and patted the woman's shoulder once "Relax, we're just messing with you, Talia" she looked at Bruce and added "You are hot, that part was actually true" finally, she looked at her smiling wife and leaned up to kiss her softly "I married the hottest one, tho, so I win"

"I was not aware this was a competition" Talia pointed out and Sara only shrugged, finishing her drink and placing the empty glass on the sand next to her body "Can we leave this ridiculous conversation aside for at least a couple of minutes?"

"Sure, what's up?" the blonde asked intrigued when Talia held a white envelope in front of them.

"We wanted to give you something"

She handed them the envelope, and the blonde was the one who took it, while Nyssa shook her head "Sister, you know there is no need for—"

"Nyssa, babe, let people express how much they love us however they want" Sara interrupted her, peeking inside the envelope.

Her statement made all three of them laugh, and Talia finally encouraged her "Go ahead, open it"

The blonde pulled out a small stack of different sized papers and smaller envelopes. The first thing she noticed was that one of them had the seal of an airline. She looked up at the older woman, who only smiled and winked at her. Opening that envelope she gasped and handed the contents to Nyssa.

"Talia…?" she asked frowning.

"We figured you would not have the chance to plan a proper honeymoon with such limited amount of time, so we took the liberty to plan it for you" the woman smiled and Bruce nodded with a big smile "I hope that is alright with you"

"Are you kidding me?" Sara asked incredulously.

"Hope everything's to your liking" the man said, nervously alternating his gaze between the two women.

"It's amazing!"

"This is too much, we cannot—"

"Yes, you can, Nyssa" her sister reassured her "You took care of everyone from a very young age and for far too long. Now let us take care of you, even if it is only for this, sister. You both deserve it"

"I don't know what to say"

"I think we should start with: thank you" Sara grinned and leaned forward to hug both of them.

"You are very welcome" the man nodded still smiling "You leave tomorrow. All the details and reservations are right there"

"Laurel, the tiny Queen and both your mothers already took care of all the packing, which reminds me…" Talia said and looked at the man sitting next to her "...there's one more thing"

He smiled and nodded, handing them a smaller, black envelope "For your wedding night"

Nyssa took it and turned it around, finding the logo of a well known, five star hotel printed on the other side. She chuckled and opened it, taking out two key cards and holding them for Sara to see.

"Honeymoon suite, ladies"

"You shall not have to worry about traumatizing anyone tonight" Talia added, smirking when she noticed her younger sister blush "I have been informed of the incident by the tiny Queen"

"Your luggage for the honeymoon is already waiting for you there" Bruce explained "And a car will pick you up at noon to take you to the airport"

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Smoak and the both of us shall take care of everything here in your absence"

"Meaning, we'll send everyone home and lock after ourselves, so you don't have to worry about a thing"

"Wow, this is just…" Sara shook her head and closed her open mouth "...thanks, seriously"

"You deserve it" Talia answered honestly "Make sure to relax and enjoy it"

Nyssa leaned forward and surprised her sister with a strong hug, whispering something in her ear that made the woman smile nod "Always" she whispered back, hugging her just as tightly.

* * *

"You know, a girl could get used to this" Sara said, getting comfortable in her seat.

"It's not the first time you travel first class, beloved"

"Not that; although Talia and Bruce really know how to do stuff" she smiled, looking down at her left hand "The 'just married' special treatment we're getting"

Nyssa chuckled and turned slightly to look at her "Well, enjoy it while it lasts. Soon enough we won't be able to call ourselves newlyweds anymore"

"Can't you just let me enjoy this?" the blonde rolled her eyes "It's been like, what? Eighteen hours? I plan on taking advantage of this for at least a year"

"And how do you plan on doing so?" her wife asked, smiling amusedly.

"I'll just tell people we **just** got married" she narrowed her eyes and glared at the brunette "And you'll remain silent, nod your agreement and let me lie all I want"

Nyssa chuckled and shook her head "As you wish, my beautiful bride"

The blonde smiled and leaned closer to the other woman, kissing her softly; then she shifted again in her seat and sighed frustratedly.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…" she nodded frowning "...I'm just realizing wearing jeans for a flight this long after our amazing wedding night wasn't one of my brightest ideas"

The genuine, happy laughter that came from her wife immediately filled her with unimaginable happiness and made her forget all about her uncomfortable situation. She shifted in her seat again, but this time sideways to be able to look at the woman "I love you, Nys" Sara said softly reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind the brunette's ear.

Nyssa leaned into her touch, closing her eyes and sighing happily "And I you, beloved"

"I still can't believe we got married"

"Neither can I"

"You sure you wanna put up with my weird ass for the rest of your life?"

"Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it a bit late to ask that question?" she held her left hand in the air, showing her wedding ring.

The blonde chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her again "Yes, yes it is, sucker. You're stuck with me"

"And that is all I have ever wanted" Nyssa said smiling "Besides, beloved, I am not the best example of an easy going woman. I can assure you, you will have to put up with me quite often, too"

"Nothing would make me happier" she shifted again and groaned "God, Nyssa, what did you do to me last night?"

"Nothing I haven't done before, beloved"

"Well, yeah, but it feels like you put some extra effort"

"It was a special occasion" she said matter of factly "Are you implying you did not enjoy our wedding night?"

Sara laughed and shook her head "That is not what I'm saying. Quite the opposite, actually; I just wish I would've thought of not wearing these stupid jeans"

They both sat up straighter when the captain announced they were ready for take off, but even over the noise of the engines the blonde could hear the woman next to her laughing again. She reached over for her hand, lacing their fingers together and grinning happily as the plane took off.

After a few minutes, when the sign to fasten their seatbelts turned off, Sara reclined her seat and turned her head to look at her wife "So, what now?" she asked, smiling softly.

"If I am not mistaken, I believe we are heading to our honeymoon" Nyssa answered frowning in confusion, making the blonde laugh.

"Yeah, I know, babe. I mean, after that. When we have to go back to normal; what then? Do we even know how to live normal lives?"

"I do not believe I have ever had what most people would call a normal life"

"Neither have I for almost twenty years"

"Then why start now?"

"Valid point" Sara chuckled.

"Is that what you wish for? A normal life?"

"By whose standards?"

Nyssa shrugged "You brought it up, you tell me"

"I just want you" the blonde said seriously, rubbing her thumb up and down her wife's ring finger "I just want to spend the rest of my life with you"

"You already have me, habibti" the other woman smiled softly "For as long as you wish. I'm yours, Sara"

Sara sighed happily, still staring at her wife with a twinkle in her eye, and shrugged one shoulder before winking at her with a bright smile "Then screw normal"


End file.
